OAJ will investigate irregularities in hiring of the defunct Judicial Council

Gustavo Castillo García

La Jornada Newspaper
Sunday, February 8, 2026, p. 6

The Judicial Administration Body (OAJ) has placed in the hands of the Internal Control Body the investigation of alleged irregularities due to contracts carried out in what was previously the Council of the Federal Judiciary (CJF) and that would have been carried out with surcharges for the acquisition of materials, and also related to the construction and completion of works of Federal Criminal Justice centers in various entities.

OAJ sources indicated that as part of the financial viability analyzes of the organizations that make up the Judicial Branch of the Federation – that is, the Court, the OAJ, the Judicial Disciplinary Court and the Electoral Court – the administrative acquisition and leasing procedures have been adapted for better use of the resources assigned in accordance with the needs of budget austerity for this year.

The interviewees reported that probable anomalies related to the rental of both office and parking properties have been detected; This category also includes the works that were contracted for the development of Federal Criminal Justice centers, which in some cases date back to 2016 and have not been completed.

Cases were also detected in which improper authorizations were given for the extension of delivery times without sanctions to the construction companies for the delays, and with this the PJF lost resources and operability.

Unfinished work in Chihuahua

One of the cases, for which a lawsuit was filed in June of last year before the Supreme Court, when the CJF was still in operation, was for the alleged breach of the contract for the construction of the Federal Criminal Justice Center in Chihuahua, Chihuahua.

In this case, the company is required to repair the damage for 40 million 753 thousand 507 pesos plus interest, as, according to sources, was established in contract CJF/SEA/DGIM/LP/13/2016, dated December 5, 2016, and in which it was established that the contracted works would be completed in 180 days.

To avoid surcharges in the purchase of printing materials and copies, the OAJ will make consolidated purchases for all instances, they indicated.