UNAM proposes a reform to guarantee judicial independence

Judicial independence and the separation of powers guarantee that judges’ decisions are based on law and jurisprudence, and not on external pressures or group interests, said UNAM rector Leonardo Lomelí Vanegas.

He recalled that We are celebrating two centuries of having opted for the republican, representative and federal form of government. Without a doubt, these have been 200 years of a haphazard political evolution in which the full consolidation of federalism and the division of powers is still pending. In that sense, there can be no going back in these matters..

During the inauguration of the forums on Constitutional Reform in the field of justice, authorities from the highest house of studies agreed that these roundtables, which began this Monday and conclude on Thursday, August 1, represent a unique opportunity to reflect and discuss the necessary reforms that strengthen and improve the Mexican justice system.

Commitment to justice

Lomelí Vanegas reiterated UNAM’s commitment to justice and the well-being of the country. These discussions, he said, are another manifestation of our mission and social responsibility to contribute to a new, more just, equal, sustainable and equitable development path.

The rector also pointed out that it must be ensured that judicial officials have the knowledge, skills and tools necessary to carry out their work with autonomy, ethics and professionalism, in order to ensure that justice is accessible, visible and understandable for all, since it is an inalienable human right.

In turn, constitutionalist Diego Valadés Ríos, from the UNAM Institute for Legal Research, said that selecting judges by popular election, reducing their income and subjecting them to a disciplinary body that censures their sentences will not solve the existing problems in the Judiciary, and instead will repeal progress achieved over decades.

He noted that a constitutional reform proposal is being debated that seeks to promote impartiality, guarantee independence, combat corruption and improve the quality of the administration of justice. The election of judges would pave the way for the absolute concentration of power and an inevitable adverse outcome for fundamental rights in Mexico..

He added that no one can offer evidence that popular election is a guarantee of the honorability and capacity of those elected. Popular election is an instrument of democracy, but it is not the whole of democracy. An election exposes candidates to political pressure. This is not an ideal scenario for judges; in addition, in Mexico many candidates for elected office are victims of criminal acts that often go unpunished..

In this regard, Hugo Concha Cantú, UNAM’s general counsel, explained that judicial reform must necessarily start with a careful study of its comprehensive operation, its parts and everything that can effectively improve and strengthen the system and its parts. This strengthening must be reflected in an increasingly efficient system, more accessible to the population and more independent of political ideologies or superficial ideas.