Background and Key Players
The Mexican Chamber of Deputies recently approved a budget reduction for the Poder Judicial de la Federación (PJF), or Mexican Federal Judicial Power, sparking debate among legal experts and academics. The PJF’s requested budget of 85,960 million 228,646 pesos for the 2026 fiscal year was slashed to 70,155 million 128,646 pesos.
Two prominent figures in this discussion are Eduardo Andrade, a constitutional lawyer and political science doctorate from the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), and Juvenal Lobato, a constitutional law and taxation specialist as well as UNAM professor.
Budget Cuts Breakdown
- The total reduction of 15,805 million 100,000 pesos includes a 14,056 million pesos cut from the projected budget for the Órgano de Administración Judicial (OAJ), replacing the extinct Consejo de la Judicatura Federal (CJF).
- The CJF’s budget for 2026 will be 60,168 million 414,696 pesos.
- The Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación (SCJN) will have 5,208 million 743,404 pesos available for the upcoming year, after a 661 million pesos reduction.
- The Tribunal Electoral del Poder Judicial de la Federación (TEPJF) will receive 3,749 million 492,877 pesos for 2026, down from the originally proposed amount by 260 million pesos.
- The Tribunal de Disciplina Judicial (TDJ) is the only PJF organ that did not experience a budget cut, with an authorized expenditure of 1,856 million 577,669 pesos for 2026.
Divided Opinions Among Experts
Juvenal Lobato:
“For me, this is an issue of weakening the Judicial Power.”
“The budget cut will affect judicial work, especially considering the recent reform to the Amparo Law. This reform strengthened online and digital trials, as well as set deadlines for judges to act and issue rulings. These changes should go hand-in-hand with adequate funding because the online trial system within the PJF won’t function without proper resources. It is crucial to ensure that this system receives the necessary funds, or else it would be counterproductive to strengthen online trials without investing in them.”
“My second concern is the PJF workers. I hope this reduction does not affect their conditions, as they should not be pressured to work faster or face strict deadlines without adequate material and human support backed by the budget.”
“In my view, the message sent by this budget adjustment is not encouraging; it’s a negative signal for strengthening the PJF. Weakening the budget implies weakening its own functions.”
“Additionally, unpaid pension obligations to former judicial workers will also be affected, as there won’t be sufficient resources to address these needs.”
Eduardo Andrade:
“I don’t believe this budget cut sends a bad message. I am confident that workers and former employees will continue to receive their due compensation, as it should be. By making minor adjustments next year, all PJF expenditures can be covered without affecting its substantive activities.”
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main issue at hand? The Mexican Chamber of Deputies approved a significant budget cut for the PJF, causing debate among experts about its potential impact on judicial functions and workers.
- How much was the budget cut? The PJF’s requested budget of 85,960 million 228,646 pesos was reduced to 70,155 million 128,646 pesos.
- Which PJF entities were affected by the budget cuts? The OAJ, CJF, SCJN, TEPJF, and other PJF entities experienced varying degrees of budget reductions.
- What are the concerns of the experts? Lobato is worried about the impact on judicial work, digital trial systems, worker conditions, and pension obligations. Andrade believes the cuts will not affect workers’ compensation and that adjustments can ensure all PJF expenditures are covered.
