A historical transformation in Mexican justice
In a speech given during her First Government Report, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, declared with conviction that the new integration of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (PJF) marks the definitive end of an “era of nepotism, corruption and privileges“. This statement, made from the highest tribune of the country, seals a process of institutional transformation that began with a constitutional reform in September 2024, whose implementation culminated with popular elections in June 2025 to renew ministers, judges and magistrates.
The president emphasized the unprecedented and deeply democratic nature of this structural change. “Reform to the Judicial Branch that allowed in June 2025 free elections for ministers of the Court, magistrates and judges, welcome to the new Judicial Branch,” said Sheinbaum, outlining a clear dividing line between the past and the future of the administration of justice in Mexico. This electoral process represents a significant departure from the previous system of co-optation, where positions were allocated internally, a method historically criticized for its opacity and propensity for favoritism.
The meaning of a new legal framework and the takeover
The President’s message was framed in a broader context of reforms, which included 19 constitutional and 40 legal modifications. These include the incorporation of the National Guard to the Secretariat of National Defense, the recognition of indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples as subjects of public law, and the redefinition of the status of state companies for Pemex and CFE. However, judicial reform emerges as the cornerstone of this national renewal project, symbolizing a commitment to transparency and accountability.
Sheinbaum’s proclamation was not a mere rhetorical statement, but coincided with the day of the swearing-in of the 9 new ministers of the Court. The day was full of symbolism. During the morning, representatives of the indigenous communities carried out a “consecration” ceremony in Cuicuilco, south of Mexico City, on the command batons that would be delivered to the new members of the Court. This deeply significant ritual act sought to root the legitimacy of the new magistrates in the oldest traditions of the indigenous peoples of Mexico, connecting the new judicial stage with a cultural heritage of search for equity.
The formal protocol continued with the protest in the Senate of the Republic scheduled for 7:30 p.m., followed by the formal installation in an event in the Supreme Court at 10:00 p.m., to which the president’s attendance was confirmed. The sequence of events, from the ritualistic to the institutional, was carefully orchestrated to underline the solemnity and historical importance of the moment.
Composition of the new highest court
The nine members of the Court, elected by direct popular vote, are made up of a diverse profile of jurists. The new integration is chaired by Hugo Aguilar, and he is accompanied by Lenia Batres, Yasmín Esquivel, Loretta Ortiz, María Estela Ríos, Giovanni Azael Figueroa Mejía, Irving Espinoza Betanzo, Arístides Rodrigo Guerrero García and Sara Irene Herrerías Guerra. The expectation for this new collegiate body is enormous, since they are perceived as those responsible for materializing the promise of a “new era of legality and justice” and for cementing an authentic Rule of Law in the country. Their mandate will be inevitably linked to the evaluation of whether they manage to dissipate the shadows of opacity and mistrust that for decades surrounded the highest Mexican judicial body.
The success of this radical transformation of the Federal Judicial Branch will not be measured only by the change in its integration method, but by its ability to generate independent, transparent jurisprudence at the service of citizens. The real challenge for these new ministers will be to translate the popular mandate into judicial decisions that strengthen democracy and restore public trust in institutions, eradicating corrupt practices and ensuring that justice is accessible to all Mexicans, without privileges or distinctions.
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