Piña Exits, Leaving Judgement of Mexico’s Last Neoliberal Court “to the scrutiny of history.”
The final session of the neoliberal court. Mexico’s elected Supreme Court justices take to the bench in September.
The final session of the neoliberal court. Mexico’s elected Supreme Court justices take to the bench in September.
For three decades, Mexico’s Supreme Court and the entire federal judiciary acted in favor of political, economic, media, and intellectual elites with decisions that led to its discredit as an insensitive and corrupt institution.
The extraordinary meeting has raised concerns exiting Justices will use it to cover their tracks or engage in some last minute politicking. The new elected judiciary takes office on September 1st.
Mexico’s incoming Supreme Court Chief Justice Hugo Aguilar Ortiz says power groups persist within the judiciary, and that monitoring and sanctions are urgently needed, otherwise, within five years, vices will be widespread.
Senators presented a bill that eliminates the mandatory use of the cap and gown for Supreme Court justices, with the goal of “eradicating symbols” of remoteness and elitism from the country’s highest court.
The current judiciary fails to deliver justice; it administers impunity, institutionalized sexism, racism, and cowardice. This election won’t magically solve all the structural problems, but it is a deep crack in the wall of opacity and abuse.
Issues that look to hamper participation in the democratic procedure include a poorly managed and restricted campaign to promote the vote by the country’s electoral institute.
What does Mexico’s constitutional reform of the judiciary actually intend to accomplish?
Mexico’s political institutions reflect majority opinion; Morena is in power because the country’s political system allows third parties to grow (it’s only ten years old) and because most people support its policies, including democratizing the judiciary.
Much to the consternation of relics of the neoliberal order like Supreme Court President Norma Piña, more than 80% of Mexicans back a major change to the judiciary, blackened with a legacy of widespread accusations of corruption, questionable rulings and failing to deliver justice to victims.