Background on the Mexican Bar Association (BMA) and its Relevance
The Mexican Bar Association (BMA), also known as the Colegio de Abogados, is a prominent legal organization in Mexico. Comprising lawyers and legal professionals, the BMA plays a crucial role in shaping and upholding the country’s legal framework. The association actively participates in discussions on judicial reforms and advocates for a strong, independent, and impartial judiciary.
BMA Warns of Weakened Legitimacy in the New Federal Judicial Power
In a formal statement, the BMA expressed concern over the legitimacy of the newly established Federal Judicial Power (PJF) due to low voter turnout and a high number of invalid votes in the recent elections.
With over 99.8% of the ballots counted by the National Electoral Institute (INE), only 13% of eligible voters participated in the elections. Moreover, over 12.5 million votes were deemed invalid.
“It is alarming that, with such low citizen participation, a crucial step towards the new integration of the state’s power responsible for justice administration is being taken,” the BMA stated.
The organization emphasized that insufficient citizen engagement weakens the legitimacy of those who will be tasked with upholding the law, as well as highlighting underlying issues within the current legal framework that had been previously identified.
BMA’s Active Involvement in Judicial Reform Discussions
The BMA has been actively engaged in discussions surrounding the so-called judicial reform since its inception. Their approach involved informing, debating, critiquing, expressing opinions, marching, and utilizing all available communication channels to advocate for a robust and independent judiciary.
Call for Autonomy Among New Judges
As the new Federal Judicial Power is set to commence operations in September of this year, the BMA urged the incoming judges to exercise their duties with autonomy, independence, honesty, and objectivity.
“Mexico requires a judicial branch free from political tendencies,” the BMA asserted.
The organization reaffirmed its commitment to critically analyzing and proposing improvements to the legal environment, emphasizing that this new phase of the country will not deviate from their constructive dialogue-based approach.
BMA’s Past Actions Regarding Judicial Reform
In October of the previous year, the BMA issued an urgent call to Mexico’s political powers to respect the constitutional order and rectify irregularities stemming from the Federal Judicial Power reform.
Furthermore, in November 2024, the BMA submitted an amicus curiae brief to Mexico’s Supreme Court of Justice in support of actions challenging the constitutionality of the judicial reform.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the Mexican Bar Association (BMA)? The BMA, or Colegio de Abogados, is a prominent legal organization in Mexico comprising lawyers and legal professionals advocating for a strong, independent, and impartial judiciary.
- Why is the BMA concerned about low voter turnout in the recent elections? The BMA believes that insufficient citizen participation weakens the legitimacy of those who will uphold the law and highlights underlying issues within the current legal framework.
- What does the BMA expect from the new judges in the Federal Judicial Power? The BMA urges new judges to exercise their duties with autonomy, independence, honesty, and objectivity, ensuring that the judicial branch remains free from political tendencies.
- What actions has the BMA taken regarding judicial reform? The BMA has actively participated in discussions surrounding the judicial reform, advocating for a robust and independent judiciary. They have also issued urgent calls to political powers and submitted amicus curiae briefs to the Supreme Court of Justice in support of actions challenging the constitutionality of the judicial reform.
