Supreme Court (SCJN) justices will stop work to protest the federal government’s judicial reform proposal, joining employees of Mexico’s highest court who have already gone on strike.
The SCJN said in a statement on Tuesday that eight justices voted in favor of suspending activities, while three opposed the move.
Court sessions scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday have been suspended, the statement said, adding that the justices “will assess the prevailing situation” next Monday.
The statement also said that the justices agreed to attend to “urgent matters” during their suspension of activities. Nevertheless, their decision to stop work will cause an “operational paralysis” in the SCJN, the Milenio newspaper reported.
The three justices who voted against stopping work — Yasmín Esquivel Mossa, Loretta Ortiz Ahlf and Lenia Batres Guadarrama — were all appointed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, who sent the judicial reform proposal to Congress in February and argues that the country’s judiciary is corrupt and needs renewal.
Esquivel, Ortiz and Batres said in a separate statement that they “vigorously” opposed going on strike.
“It’s our constitutional responsibility to exercise our roles as justices and provide the public service of the delivery of justice,” they said.
Esquivel, Ortiz and Batres said they intended to continue working remotely.
Court workers across Mexico have stopped work to protest the judicial reform proposal in recent weeks.
On Monday, the vast majority of more than 1,000 SCJN employees present at a meeting voted in favor of job action. The court employs a total of 3,647 workers.
Critics of the constitutional bill — which would allow citizens to directly elect Supreme Court justices and other judges — assert that its approval would undermine the independence of the judiciary.
United States Ambassador to Mexico Ken Salazar earned a rebuke from López Obrador late last month after asserting that the “popular direct election of judges is a major risk to the functioning of Mexico’s democracy.”
Salazar also claimed that “the debate over the direct election of judges … as well as the fierce politics if the elections for judges in 2025 and 2027 were to be approved, will threaten the historic trade relationship we have built, which relies on investors’ confidence in Mexico’s legal framework.”
He made similar remarks at a press conference on Tuesday, saying that the reform could cause “a lot of damage” to the Mexico-U.S. relationship “if it’s not done well.”
“… I’m saying this because of all the concerns that are reaching me from people who truly want the best for Mexico and the United States. What I can say is that there is a great deal of concern,” Salazar said.
New York-based investment bank Morgan Stanley downgraded its investment outlook for Mexico due to concern over the proposal, while Canadian Ambassador to Mexico Graeme Clark said that investors from his country were also worried.
On Tuesday morning, hundreds of court workers blocked access to the lower house of federal Congress as they sought to prevent lawmakers from discussing the government’s judicial reform proposal.
However, the ruling Morena party organized the transfer of the legislative session to a recreational center in the Iztacalco borough of Mexico City. The session was scheduled to commence at 4 p.m. Mexico City time, with a vote on the constitutional bill expected sometime in the late afternoon or on Tuesday night.
As of Sept. 1, Morena and its allies have a two-thirds majority in the Chamber of Deputies, allowing them to approve constitutional reforms without support from opposition lawmakers.
The Morena-led coalition is just one vote short of a supermajority in the Senate, putting it in a strong position to approve the judicial reform proposal in the upper house as well.
Constitutional reforms must also be ratified by at least 17 of Mexico’s state legislatures — a requirement that shouldn’t be an obstacle for Morena given that the ruling party and its allies have majorities in the congresses of more than 20 states.
With reports from Milenio, Animal Político, El Universal and Reforma
From what I have seen of elections in Mexico, the cartels hold the upper hand. There is a list of assassinations of political candidates, which took place in Mexico during the 2024 Mexican general and local elections: “Up to sixty politicians were assassinated during the pre-campaign and campaign periods in Mexico. According to the president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, the total number was six.” If you go to Wikipedia, the names are there and how they were murdered.
No one in the right mind would ever run for a SCJ position if this was to become an elected position.
Unless……They have high friends in low places.
Like Claudia.
Eight of Mexico’s Supreme Court justices voted in favor of the strike, and three opposed it
Why would a justice vote against discussion and possible reform unless they fear for their job? Just asking.
Why would a judge strike, let their work show their commitment to follow the law, even if they do not like the law. It is not their business to like the law, just to follow it. Instead they strike because they want to keep their high salaries. The people have voted, and they are in favor of the reform. Or are the people wrong? Bad luck, that is democracy.
Maybe they can see that the cartels will tighten their grip on the last bastion of integrity. After they kill all the honest candidates who run in elections and their stooges are “elected”.
I would welcome an explanation from Sheinbaum about how the judiciary would become more independent and less corrupt if they are nominated by the president and legislature and voted into office by the people. I personally can’t see how the cartels would stay out of this process and neither buy nor exhort the new judges.
Why strike? Because they will lose their job. They will be voted out because as soon as they start a campaign for election, they will be dead, unless they are bought off by the Ca—l. To me only the honest ones are going on strike and the corrupt ones are staying and standing behind a false shield of honor. Can you imagine the contributions and corruption that will take place to get a judge elected? It would be just as bad as a Senator in the USA.
I’m always dubious if the USA starts talking about “threats to democracy” both at home or abroad.
Maduro is AMLO’s close friend he wants Mexico to become the same Wake up everybody stop shaking your heads if you own a home in Mexico Wath out in few years it could be woth what Venezuela land is worth frightening The Cartels are in Charge if you stand in there way you will die AMLO hugs and kisses worked out so far he isn’t dead have a good day