Most Supreme Court justices in Mexico resigned following judicial reforms.

(CLO) Eight of Mexico's eleven Supreme Court justices have resigned and refused to participate in the elections for the court scheduled for next June, the court announced on Wednesday.

According to a statement, the President of the Court, Norma Pina, has submitted her resignation, along with Judges Luis Maria Aguilar, Jorge Mario Pardo, Alfredo Gutierrez, Alberto Perez, Javier Laynez, Juan Luis Gonzalez, and Margarita Rios. Seven of these judges will officially leave office on August 31st of next year, while Judge Aguilar will retire on November 30th of this year.

Protesters stand outside the National Museum of Art (MUNAL) in Mexico City, Mexico, on September 12, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Henry Romero

These resignations are a consequence of a constitutional reform enacted last month, which requires all judges to be elected through popular vote.

Accordingly, judges must resign before the June elections if they do not wish to participate in the electoral process but still want to receive their pensions; otherwise, they risk losing this benefit. This regulation has sparked outrage and protests from judicial staff.

These mass resignations have heightened tensions between Mexico's Supreme Court and the ruling bloc, increasing the risk of a constitutional crisis as Congress and the President continue to disagree with the judicial branch on reform issues.

"It is important to emphasize that this resignation does not imply that we accept the constitutionality of this reform," Judge Gutierrez wrote in his resignation letter on Tuesday.

In a letter sent to the Mexican Senate on Wednesday, Rios said that her decision to resign “should not be seen as tacit support for a controversial reform framework.”

Under this reform, the number of Supreme Court justices, which currently consists of 11 members, will be reduced to 9. Currently, three Supreme Court justices have publicly endorsed this reform.

Hong Hanh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/phan-lon-tham-phan-toa-an-toi-cao-mexico-tu-chuc-sau-cai-cach-tu-phap-post319305.html