The Mexican Senate approved on Wednesday the judicial reform promoted by the government of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.
Last Sunday, September 8, the members of the United Commissions on Constitutional Points and Legislative Studies of the Senate approved judicial reform in particular and in general, so their final treatment was subtracted in the plenary of the Upper House.
A conflicting treatment
This Monday, September 10, the session had to be suspended due to the emergence of opposition protesters at the Legislative Palace of San Lázaro, in Mexico City, who entered the cry of “Traitors, traitors,” referring to the senators who supported the reform.
Similar setbacks emerged last week at the headquarters of the legislature, which was blocked by protesters before the debate in the Chamber of Deputies. The Lower House also had to meet at an alternate headquarters, where, after several hours, it was finally approved by 359 votes in favour and 135 against, in its general terms.
After Tuesday’s interruption by the takeover of Congress, the head of the Senate, Fernández Noroña, reported through the social network X that the debate would resume at the former headquarters of that Parliament, known as the Xicoténcatl Casona.
The session was preceded by intense controversy over the qualified majority required to approve the project.
The bench of the National Regeneration Movement (Morena) and its allies, which had spoken out in favor of the reform, pointed out that only 85 votes of the 128 votes were required at stake, based on information published in 2020 by the Senate on this issue.
On the contrary, for the opposition the proposal required the vote of 86 senators, a number that the forces loyal to López Obrador had not insured in the previous one.
What the reform implies/impeded
Judicial reform proposes to select Supreme Court ministers, judges and magistrates through the popular vote, in elections to be held in 2025, as well as the reduction of the length of these officials. In addition, under the principles of republican austerity, he intends to stop the excessive and onerous expenditure of the judiciary.
It also provides for the salaries of the members of the highest constitutional court, judges and magistrates to be linked to that of the President of the Republic and that their benefits be reduced. In addition, it hopes that the members of the Council of the Federal Judiciary, the body responsible for the administration, surveillance, discipline and judicial career of the judiciary, will also be elected by popular vote.
Other articles create a judicial disciplinary court that will no longer be made up of the Supreme Court’s presiding minister, as is currently the case.
Since its submission last February, the initiative has generated rejection between the opposition and members of the judiciary. It is a constitutional reform that, from the perspective of the opposition, bars of lawyers and non-governmental organizations, seeks to undermine the independence of the judicial authorities and, in parallel, eliminate all balances of the Government.
On the contrary, López Obrador and the reform defenders say it will serve to end the corruption and privileges of the judiciary.
This article has been translated after first appearing in El Pais