Yesterday, on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, the Madrugadores Group held their new weekly meeting at the Mezquite Restaurant in the Vidanta Hotel in San José del Cabo. The agenda included the quote of the week, which on this occasion was from Montesquieu: “There is no worse tyranny than that which is exercised in the shadow of the laws and under the heat of justice.”
After introducing the meeting participants, the special guest, Mr. Eduardo Tapia Zuckermann, a real estate corporate lawyer, spoke on Judicial Branch Reform.
“The Judicial Branch has historically depended on the Executive Branch in its structure, budget, and integration. Even though there have been notable individuals in the judiciary during the period when the ruling party held power for more than 70 years, they were still answerable to the Executive. This unequal power dynamic changed during the transition period, starting five years before the actual transition when reform was initiated,” Tapia Zuckerman began his presentation.
The objectives of the Judicial Branch Reform are as follows:
- 1. A new integration of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation through efficiency, austerity and transparency in the Highest Court.
- 2. Popular election of ministers, magistrates and judges that democratically legitimizes the justice system.
- 3. independent administrative and disciplinary bodies replace the Federal Judiciary Council.
- 4. New procedural rules for expeditious Justice and balance between Powers.
In his presentation, Tapia Zuckermann cautioned that the Judicial Branch has historically relied on the Executive Branch, and this reform could further jeopardize its independence. He made international comparisons with Bolivia and Venezuela, which have followed similar paths, resulting in violations of the rule of law due to attacks on judicial independence. One of the most controversial measures of the reform, warned Tapia Zuckermann, is that there will be no pre-campaign or public or private financing, and political parties will be prohibited from proselytizing.
