Mexican Supreme Court Judges Resign in Compliance With Judicial Reform

Mexico’s Supreme Court, 2024. Photo: arturozaldivar.com

October 31, 2024 Hour: 9:55 am

Currently, the electoral process marking a change in the Supreme Court is taking place amid debates over judicial independence.

On Wednesday, Norma Piña, President of the Mexican Supreme Court, along with seven other justices, submitted their resignations, which she described as aligning with the judicial reform.

“This resignation does not imply my agreement with the early separation from the position to which I was originally appointed until December 10, 2030. Instead, it is an act of consistency and respect for the constitutional text that governs us today,” Piña stated in her resignation letter sent to the Mexican Senate.

The resignations, which will take effect on August 31, 2025, were finalized at the end of the period for justices to declare their intent to participate in elections to determine the country’s highest court judges.

Senate President Gerardo Fernandez received resignation letters from Justices Margarita Rios-Farjat, Alberto Perez, Javier Laynez, Juan Gonzalez, Jorge Pardo, Alfredo Gutierrez, and Luis Aguilar.

President Sheinbaum is correct in what she says here. The attempt by the US imperialists and their Mexican comprador allies to label the drug cartels as terrorists is all about enabling direct US military intervention in Mexico. https://t.co/l2Il9HQfhv
— Marx Engels Lenin Institute (@MarxEngelsLnin) October 31, 2024

These eight justices decided not to participate in the electoral process through which Mexicans will directly elect members of the judiciary. The only Supreme Court justices who have expressed interest in participating in the elections are Lenia Batres, Yazmín Esquivel, and Loreta Ortiz.

The judicial reform, approved in September, establishes that judges who do not run or are not elected in 2025 will lose the right to retirement benefits unless they resign before the application deadline.

Currently, the electoral process marking a change in the Mexican Supreme Court is taking place amid debates over judicial independence and the economic benefits for high-ranking judicial officials.