Mexico adopts world’s first legal reforms after protesters storm Congress

Outgoing President Lopez Obrador has frequently attacked the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, for obstructing his energy and security policies. (AP photo)

MEXICO CITY: Mexico lawmakers approved controversial reforms Wednesday that would make the country the first to allow voters to choose all judges, hours after protesters stormed the Senate to disrupt debate.

Outgoing President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador had pushed hard for the constitutional changes, criticizing the current judicial system as “rotten,” corrupt and serving the interests of the political and economic elite.

However, opponents and legal experts warn that elected judges could be more vulnerable to pressure from criminals in a country where powerful drug cartels regularly use bribery and intimidation to influence officials.

The leftist leader said the reforms – which have sparked street protests, diplomatic tensions and investor concerns – would be an “example to the world”.

“It is very important to put an end to corruption and impunity. We will make great progress if the people of Mexico freely elect the judges, the magistrates and the judges,” the 70-year-old told a news conference.

“Judges, with honorable exceptions… are in the service of a rapacious minority dedicated to plundering the country,” he added.

Since taking office in 2018, Lopez Obrador has frequently spoken out strongly about the judiciary, particularly the Supreme Court, which has obstructed a number of his policies in areas including energy and security.

The judicial reform was approved in the early morning hours by the Senate with 86 votes in favor and 41 against, achieving the two-thirds majority needed to amend the constitution in an upper house dominated by the governing coalition.

Lawmakers were forced to suspend their debate and move to another location after protesters stormed the House of Lords and entered the chamber chanting: “The judiciary will not fall.”

Lopez Obrador, who wanted the bill passed before his close ally Claudia Sheinbaum replaces him on Oct. 1, accused the protesters of protecting the interests of the political elite.

Sheinbaum fully supports the reforms and said Wednesday they would strengthen the justice system.

“The regime of corruption and privilege has increasingly become a thing of the past,” she wrote on the social media platform X.

‘Powerful forces’

The plan, which has already been approved by the Lower House, must now be approved by 17 of the 32 state congresses – a formality given the political dominance of the governing coalition – before it can be signed by the president.

Opponents, who accuse Lopez Obrador of facilitating a trend toward democratic backsliding, have held a series of protests against the plan, which would see even Supreme Court justices and other senior judges elected by popular vote.

About 1,600 judges are expected to run for the 2025 or 2027 elections.

“This does not exist in any other country,” Margaret Satterthwaite, UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, told AFP ahead of the vote.

“Without strong safeguards to prevent the infiltration of organised crime (into the judicial selection process), an electoral system can become vulnerable to such powerful forces,” she warned.

Protesters, including court staff and law students, took to the streets again on Wednesday, hours after the reforms were implemented.

“We are not going to surrender,” said Mario Dominguez, a magistrate from the western state of Jalisco.

‘Demolition of the judiciary’

In an unusual public warning, Supreme Court Chief Justice Norma Pina has said that elected judges could be susceptible to pressure from criminal groups.

“Dismantling the judiciary is not the way forward,” she said in a video released Sunday.

The United States, Mexico’s top trading partner, has warned that the reforms threaten a relationship that depends on investor confidence in Mexico’s legal framework.

The changes could pose a “grave risk” to Mexican democracy and allow criminals to exploit “politically motivated and inexperienced judges,” U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar said last month.

Human Rights Watch had called on lawmakers to reject what it called “dangerous proposals,” which it said would “seriously undermine the independence of the judiciary and violate international human rights standards.”

Financial market analysts say investor concerns about the reforms have contributed to a sharp decline in the value of Mexico’s currency, the peso, which has fallen to a two-year low against the dollar.