Introduction of Reform Initiatives by President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo
The Permanent Commission of the Mexican Congress received two reform proposals from President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo targeting the National Code of Criminal Procedures, the Federal Law Against Organized Crime, and the Federal Administrative Contention Law.
First Reform Initiative: Strengthening Institutional Design
The first proposal aims to enhance the institutional design by implementing effective practices that address backlogs, corruption, excessive privileges, and insufficient oversight in the current justice model. This reform seeks to establish a legal framework for those responsible for adjudication, enabling law application with a human rights perspective. The goal is to transform the judicial power into an agent for addressing legal system inequalities and injustices, fostering a more just society and peace culture.
Second Reform Initiative: Protecting Judges and Combating Organized Crime
The second proposal outlines necessary protection measures for judges’ security and investigates organized crime offenses with the approval of specialized units. It also strengthens accreditation processes for identifying criminal organizations in both the inquisitorial-mixed and adversarial accusatory criminal systems.
Proposed Article 22 Bis: Anonymity for Judges
An additional Article 22 Bis is suggested to outline necessary measures for preserving judge security and, exceptionally, protecting their identities in cases related to the Federal Law Against Organized Crime.
“Upon request from the Public Ministry or relevant judicial authority, the Federal Judiciary Administration may issue a resolution implementing necessary security and identity protection measures for adjudicators during investigations, proceedings, and penalty execution related to the aforementioned federal law,” explains the presidential initiative.
Reform Initiatives Removed from Legislative Agenda
Both reform proposals have been removed from the legislative agenda to be addressed during the ongoing extraordinary sessions of the Mexican Congress.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are the proposed reforms? The reforms aim to strengthen institutional design, address corruption and backlogs, and protect judges while combating organized crime.
- What is Article 22 Bis? It proposes measures to ensure the security and, exceptionally, anonymity of judges in cases related to organized crime.
- Why were the reform initiatives removed from the legislative agenda? The article does not provide specific reasons for their removal.
