Mexican Reforms Will Subordinate Judges to Politicians, Say Legal Experts

ANALYSIS Legal experts say the reforms approved by the Mexican Senate on Sept. 11 will have a huge impact on the rule of law in the country and could lead to a Venezuela-style judiciary, where the ruling party’s edicts are not challenged. The legislation proposes altering the status of 7,000 judges, up to the Supreme Court level, who would be elected by popular vote. It also reduces the number of Supreme Court judges from 11 to nine, caps term length at 12 years, halves the necessary work experience to five years, and abolishes a minimum age requirement of 35. The reforms, championed by outgoing President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, were passed after dramatic scenes and protests by those who feared they would disrupt the balance of power in Mexico’s legal system....