Mexico has taken an unprecedented step in judicial reform, becoming the first country to elect its entire judiciary through popular vote. More than 800 new judges, from Supreme Court justices to state magistrates, were sworn in following elections held in June. The government hails this as a move to bring new faces into a stagnant system, celebrating the appointment of Mexico's first indigenous chief justice in over 150 years. However, critics raise concerns about the ruling MORENA party's influence over the selection process, with all elected Supreme Court justices and electoral tribunal members reportedly having ties to the governing party. The reform aims to address Mexico's failing justice system, where only about 10% of crimes are reported due to lack of public confidence. Yet, analysts argue that the focus on judges may not address the core issues, pointing instead to under-resourced and poorly trained state prosecutors' offices as the primary obstacle to effective justice. As Mexico prepares for a second round of judicial elections in 2027, questions remain about whether this new system will truly serve the law or the government's interests. Al Jazeera's John Holman reports from Mexico City. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #MexicoJudiciary #JudicialElections #Sheinbaum #MORENA #JudicialReform #SupremeCourtMexico #MexicoJusticeSystem #IndigenousChiefJustice #MexicoPolitics #JudicialIndependence
Mexico swears in first popularly elected judges amid political controversy
6 std vor
Mexico has taken an unprecedented step in judicial reform, becoming the first country to elect its entire judiciary through popular vote. More than 800 new judges, from Supreme Court justices to state magistrates, were sworn in following elections held in June. The government hails this as a move to bring new faces into a stagnant system, celebrating the appointment of Mexico's first indigenous chief justice in over 150 years. However, critics raise concerns about the ruling MORENA party's influence over the selection process, with all elected Supreme Court justices and electoral tribunal members reportedly having ties to the governing party. The reform aims to address Mexico's failing justice system, where only about 10% of crimes are reported due to lack of public confidence. Yet, analysts argue that the focus on judges may not address the core issues, pointing instead to under-resourced and poorly trained state prosecutors' offices as the primary obstacle to effective justice. As Mexico prepares for a second round of judicial elections in 2027, questions remain about whether this new system will truly serve the law or the government's interests. Al Jazeera's John Holman reports from Mexico City. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://twitter.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.io/AJEMobile #MexicoJudiciary #JudicialElections #Sheinbaum #MORENA #JudicialReform #SupremeCourtMexico #MexicoJusticeSystem #IndigenousChiefJustice #MexicoPolitics #JudicialIndependence
