Protests Erupt in Mexico Following Passage of Controversial Judicial Reform

A controversial judicial reform that will see judges chosen by popular vote has been approved by the Mexican Senate. Advocates contend that this modification will improve judges’ accountability and increase their responsiveness to the Mexican populace. Critics counter that it might strengthen the hand of the ruling Morena party and erode the nation’s system of checks and balances.

Protesters and strikes have been triggered by the bill’s approval; some have even broken into the building where the vote was conducted. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador supports the measure, and this vote represents the last major obstacle to it.

An opposition senator unexpectedly backed the measure during a dramatic late-night session, providing the two-thirds majority needed for constitutional modifications. The vote on Wednesday morning was significant, even though there will be more discussion on the bill’s details before it is finally approved.

Having passed the reform, President López Obrador—whose tenure expires on September 30—has accomplished a noteworthy feat. After numerous disagreements with Mexico’s Supreme Court, which has thwarted some of his suggested reforms in the energy and security sectors, the departing president has taken the lead on this reform. Justices of the Supreme Court will have to run for public office under the new system.