Edomex approves historic reform: Judges will be elected by vote

The State of Mexico has undergone a historic transformation of its judiciary. With the approval of 93 municipal councils, the reform that will allow, among other changes, the election of judges through direct popular vote by the citizens has been declared constitutional.

Toluca, Edomex.- The justice system in the country's most populous state will never be the same. The Congress of the State of Mexico formally declared the constitutionality of the comprehensive reform of the Judiciary, a package of profound changes approved by a supermajority of the municipalities of the State of Mexico.

The reform, promoted by the Morena, PT, and PVEM parties, and which also incorporated proposals from the PRI and PAN, introduces two main innovations that fundamentally alter the structure and functioning of the state judiciary.

1. Popular Election of Judges:

This is the most disruptive and controversial change. From now on, magistrate and judge positions in the State of Mexico will be subject to direct, universal, and secret vote of the citizens. This mechanism replaces the previous system of appointments and designations. The objective, according to its proponents, is to democratize access to justice and make judges accountable to the people.

2. Creation of New Control Bodies:

The reform dissolves the Judicial Council and creates two new specialized entities to oversee the Judiciary:

* Judicial Administration Body: It will be responsible for resource management, the judicial career, and general administration, seeking efficiency and transparency.

* Judicial Disciplinary Tribunal: It will be responsible for investigating and sanctioning misconduct and possible acts of corruption by public servants of the judiciary, acting as an internal control body.

A Mirror of the National Reform

This transformation in the State of Mexico is not an isolated event. It is occurring in parallel with and is an almost identical reflection of the controversial judicial reform being promoted at the federal level. The mechanisms for popular election and the creation of new oversight bodies are the same.

Therefore, the State of Mexico becomes a first-rate political and legal laboratory. The success or failure of this reform's implementation in the state will be closely watched throughout the country, as it could serve as a model or a warning for the transformation of the justice system nationwide.

Critics of both reforms argue that the popular election of judges could politicize the justice system, while their proponents maintain that it is the only way to end corruption and elitism in the judiciary.