MORENA Seeks to Approve Judicial Reform; Sheinbaum Urges Debate

President López Obrador assured that the judicial reform will be approved in September, when MORENA and its allies have the qualified majority in Congress, which is required for constitutional reforms. However, the new president-elect, Claudia Sheinbaum, assured that the reform will be thoroughly debated before being approved.

Ignacio Mier Velazco, MORENA’s Coordinator, Chamber of Deputies, announced that the judicial reform would be the first legislative initiative of Plan C to be voted by the LXVI Legislature in September. "The president's intention is to finalize this in September. It is urgent for him because it would be one of his final governmental actions, serving as his legacy," explained Miguel Manrique, Master in Anti-Corruption Policies, Inacipe.

Sheinbaum emphasized the need for a transparent approval process for the judicial reform and other Plan C reforms. Consequently, she highlighted that the reform will be debated in an open parliament, with participation from bar associations, law schools, Judicial Branch workers, and current judges. Sheinbaum also announced that MORENA will conduct a survey to ascertain public opinion on judicial reform but emphasized that the initiative will not be a citizen consultation. "No one will be affected. It is crucial to open a process for the proposal to be well understood," Sheinbaum stated. 

The judicial reform seeks to restructure power by popularly electing Supreme Court justices, reducing the Supreme Court plenary from 11 to nine justices, replacing the Federal Judiciary Council with an independent judicial administration body, prohibiting the Supreme Court from suspending laws, establishing maximum time limits of six months for the resolution of tax matters and one year for criminal matters, and renewing all Supreme Court justices' positions in 2025.

Post-Election Overview: Congress Composition

It is anticipated that MORENA and its allies will collectively hold between 346 and 380 of the 500 seats in the Chamber of Deputies, which would give them a qualified majority to easily pass the reforms. In the Senate, MORENA and its allies are anticipated to secure between 76 and 88 of the 128 seats, leaving uncertainty regarding if they will reach a qualified majority. Nonetheless, experts emphasize that even if they fall short, they will likely seek alliances with the opposition to advance their agenda. 

Experts highlight that the final composition of Congress remains uncertain due to the allocation of some seats through a proportional representation system in August, as well as potential legal challenges affecting the distribution of seats.