Representatives approve judicial reform in Mexico in a session held in a gym with plastic chairs. International companies warn of risks, and AMLO says he won’t change his stance.

After half a year of disputes, the representatives have approved the Judicial Reform in Mexico. In the early hours of September 3, 2024, the reform of the Judiciary proposed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador was generally approved with 359 votes in favor and 135 against. The urgency of the legislators and the strike by the Judiciary led them to use the Plaza de Armas gymnasium as the Legislative Palace, with plastic chairs and party tables replacing the usual seats.

The reform has already been approved and will be sent to the Senate of the Republic for its review. The Judiciary strike, student protests, and the occupation of the San Lázaro facilities were not enough to stop the legislators’ discussion, who decided to debate in the gym for more than 17 hours.

There will be faceless judges, popular election of justices, and of the 68 amendments presented, only three were approved: one from the Labor Party (PT), another from the Green Party (PVEM), and one more from the National Regeneration Movement (Morena). Among them, the use of the word “female judges” in the reform to create an “inclusive document.”

Judicial Reform Sent to the Senate for Approval

What happens after the Judicial Reform is approved? On the morning of September 4, the bill was sent to the Senate, where Morena and the ruling parties hold 83 seats. The Senate consists of 128 senators, meaning they are only three seats away from reaching a qualified majority.

If the votes favor the judicial reform, it will be approved and legislated to amend the Political Constitution, leading to judicial elections, faceless judges, and a restructuring of the Judiciary’s internal bodies, such as reducing the number of justices from 11 to only nine officials.

However, the new reform does include three amendments from the ruling parties of the current Government of Mexico. They establish the following:

The PVEM’s amendment allows circuit magistrates and district judges to practice law outside their judicial circuit once their term ends.

On the other hand, the PT’s proposal incorporates inclusive language into the bill, replacing “judges” with “female judges” in several articles.

Finally, Morena’s amendment modifies the bill to ensure that magistrates, female judges, and district judges who complete their term receive compensation equivalent to three months of their salary.

Experts and Specialists Condemn AMLO’s Judicial Reform

The United States Ambassador to Mexico, Ken Salazar, has been one of the most vocal authorities questioning the approval of the judicial reform. Despite letters sent by the Government of Mexico and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE) to President Biden, claiming that Salazar’s opinion is an intrusion, the ambassador reiterated on September 3, stating that “the judicial reform is a decision of the Mexican government, and we respect Mexico’s sovereignty,” but if the reform is not done correctly, “it can cause great harm to the relationship (with the United States),” he said in his press conference.

Was the reform done correctly? The discussion took place in a gym filled with plastic chairs and a platform with party tables covered with tablecloths and plates where mole and chicharrón in green sauce were served, according to Animal Político.

Additionally, Ken Salazar expressed his “concerns” regarding the trade agreements between the United States and Mexico. Meanwhile, government representatives celebrated the approval of the judicial reform among basketball hoops during the early morning hours, as the San Lázaro facilities were closed off by judges, magistrates, and eight justices of the Judiciary.

“This assembly is illegal because we are not in the Legislative Palace; they have convened in an alternate location, and we don’t even know if the quorum is legal, if everyone here is really part of the Legislative Power,” expressed Movimiento Ciudadano representative, Gildardo Pérez.

Financial Times Warns of the Risks of Approving the Judicial Reform in Mexico

For the Financial Times, the reform of the Judiciary is a newly acquired force to complete the ideals of the “fourth transformation.” But what does this mean?

According to the financial magazine, business leaders fear that López Obrador’s changes will worsen the economic sector by politicizing justice. This is the goal of subjecting the selection of judges, justices, and magistrates to an electoral process.

“Imagine you’re the manager of a multinational company, fighting against a federal company that is competing unfairly. Your lawyers say you have a solid case, but the judge is an ally of the ruling party, the regulator is a ministry official who owns your competitor, and the tax authority is threatening to imprison you while reviewing whether your invoices might be fraudulent,” explains Financial Times.

But for President López Obrador, the reform has become a personal goal. During his morning conference on September 4, the president assured that there would be no dialogue. “We will not change our stance, which is the stance of the majority of Mexicans. In the very remote case that they manage to convince millions of Mexicans, which did not happen, because the people are very responsible and sensible,” he stated.

Regarding the strike and the stance of specialists, Ambassador Ken Salazar, and the judicial strike, López Obrador stated that he is facing decadence “with a radical transformation, understanding that it comes from the roots, uprooting privileges, and this upsets people because they lose privileges. We must all prioritize the general interest.”