Eight of the Mexican Supreme Court’s 11 justices submitted their resignations in protest of a recent overhaul of the nation’s Constitution. The constitutional reform mandates that judges must now be elected by popular vote.
One of the overhauls stipulates that in order for a judge to maintain their pension if they choose not to participate in the upcoming June elections, they must resign. So, eight of them did just that so they wouldn’t have to put in the difficult work of convincing people that they should keep their jobs.
Chief Justice Norma Piña was among the judges to resign. In her resignation letter, she said her decision to step down was not an endorsement of the reform’s constitutionality but instead, an attempt to retain the dignity and respect for the judicial framework currently in place, whatever that means.
The constitutional overhaul has resulted in over 500 legal challenges. Supporters of reform say it’s all to weed out corruption within the judiciary. Critics say it will lead to a consolidation of power within the ruling party.
The reforms have not only led to a temporary reduction in the size of Mexico’s Supreme Court but also a permanent one as the 11-member court will now officially be reduced to nine. Only three of the 11 Supreme Court justices have publicly supported reformation efforts.
Unlike Supreme Court justices in the United States, Mexican Supreme Court judges have term limits— 15-year term limits, to be exact. However, under the new rules, that term limit will be reduced from 15 to 12.
In June 2025, the citizens of Mexico will be able to elect around half of the country’s 7,000 judges, which will now include the majority of its Supreme Court justices.
The post 8 of 11 Mexican Supreme Court Judges Resign After Constitutional Overhauls appeared first on VICE.
The post 8 of 11 Mexican Supreme Court Judges Resign After Constitutional Overhauls appeared first on VICE.
