Mexicans are set to cast ballots in a special election June 1 to elect 881 judicial officials, including Supreme Court justices, electoral magistrates, district judges and circuit court magistrates. File Photo by Sashanka Gutierrez/EPA-EFE
May 30 (UPI) -- Nearly 100 million Mexicans are set to take part in an unprecedented election on June 1 that will reshape the country's judiciary.
Voters will elect 881 judicial officials, including Supreme Court justices, electoral magistrates, district judges and circuit court magistrates, under a sweeping reform originally pushed by former President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and backed by current President Claudia Sheinbaum.
Initially presented in 2014 as a step toward democratizing justice and combating corruption, the reform has drawn mounting criticism from legal experts, academics and civil society organizations. Many warn it could erode judicial independence, increase political interference, and weaken the rule of law.
An analysis by Stanford Law School's Rule of Law Impact Lab and the Mexican Bar Association warns that electing judges by popular vote compromises their independence and impartiality by aligning judicial decisions with public opinion rather than strictly with the law.
