Two years after Mexico’s judicial reform: what has changed—and why it matters for the United States
Luis Carlos Ugalde and Paulina Creuheras review the 2024 reform that made Mexico’s Supreme Court justices, federal judges and the members of a new Judicial Discipline Tribunal subject to popular election, and that dismantled the career judiciary. Turnout in the June 2025 vote was 12.9 percent, and the National Electoral Institute found that winning candidates appeared on an average of 80 percent of documented voting guides, which it linked to well-resourced political organizations. Candidates are screened in advance by committees tied to the political branches. The authors identify the Discipline Tribunal as the institution whose conduct will show whether the new system enforces accountability or pressures independent judges.