Introduction to Hugo Aguilar Ortiz and His Role
Hugo Aguilar Ortiz, the current President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN), has defended the implementation of judicial reform that enabled him to reach the highest court in Mexico. He emphasized the importance of allowing citizens to exercise their power amidst a crisis in the figure of representation.
Aguilar Ortiz’s Belief in Citizen Empowerment
During his keynote address “Reforma judicial. Democracia y ciudadanía” organized by the Electoral Judicial School (EJE) of the Federal Electoral Power of the Judiciary (TEPJF) and the Faculty of Law at UNAM, Aguilar Ortiz stated: “We aim for citizens to be everyday citizens, exercising their power in decision-making processes. There is a crisis, and even a bottle of the representation figure. For me, the judicial reform follows this path of trusting in citizens and returning sovereignty, which essentially and originally resides in the people.”
Criticism of Representative Figure and Call for More Information
Aguilar Ortiz criticized those who claim that the people lack the capacity to choose their judges. However, he highlighted the need to rethink how citizens can access more information about who will be imparting justice.
Independence and Autonomy of the SCJN
Regarding his position, Aguilar Ortiz asserted that he owes his role to no one. He mentioned, “I have been in office for two months, and we just completed those two months. My only commitment is to seek transformation within the Judicial Power. I have met with political actors, unions, organizations, and we are all establishing dialogue. However, I do not feel that I owe my position to any particular political figure or group.”
He further assured that the independence and autonomy of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation are guaranteed. “We are engaging in deliberations; there are no groups or lines, but there is an open debate. Each minister and ministra freely expresses their convictions.”
A Decade to See Results
Magistrate Felipe de la Mata Pizaña’s Call for Electoral Reform
During a previous event, Magistrate Felipe de la Mata Pizaña of the TEPJF’s Superior Chamber called for reconsidering the organization of the upcoming 2027 judicial elections to make them more logical, inclusive, and balanced.
He proposed replacing the lottery system for selecting candidates with a merit-based and experience-valuing system. Additionally, he estimated that it would take a decade to determine if the new judicial election method improved Mexico’s justice system.
Importance of Time and Independence in Judicial Elections
At the opening of “Observatorio judicial electoral y congreso: Derecho electoral y democracia. Justicia electoral y elección judicial en México: el rol de los criterios jurisprudenciales,” De la Mata Pizaña emphasized that several years, possibly a decade, are needed to assess if the new judicial election method enhanced Mexico’s justice system.
“This will depend on the work each elected person-judge demonstrates and their independence, case by case, when imparting justice,” he added.
De la Mata Pizaña also identified opportunities for improving electoral processes for judges and stressed the need to reflect on alternative means of dissemination and propaganda suitable for numerous candidacies while ensuring fairness in the competition.
He also suggested simplifying ballot designs to make them more comprehensible for voters.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is Hugo Aguilar Ortiz’s role? He is the President of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN).
- What is Aguilar Ortiz’s stance on citizen empowerment? He believes in allowing citizens to exercise their power in decision-making processes, emphasizing the importance of trusting citizens and returning sovereignty to the people.
- How does Aguilar Ortiz view his position? He asserts that he owes his role to no one and has committed to seeking transformation within the Judicial Power.
- What are Magistrate Felipe de la Mata Pizaña’s proposals for electoral reform? He suggests replacing the lottery system with a merit-based selection process and emphasizes the need for a decade to evaluate the new judicial election method’s effectiveness.
