A year in, Mexico’s newly constituted Supreme Court stresses autonomy, austerity and proximity to the people

A year after Mexico inaugurated its first-ever popularly elected Supreme Court, Chief Justice Hugo Aguilar Ortiz presented the Court's annual report, highlighting austerity, proximity to the people, and autonomy as its key achievements. This year marked a transformation in the Court's approach to justice administration, with President Claudia Sheinbaum and her cabinet present at the inauguration ceremony.

Aguilar stated that the Judiciary now operates to deliver results demanded by the people, dispelling doubts about its independence. During the first year, the Court resolved 97% of the 1,479 pending cases inherited from previous years, totaling 15,051 cases discussed and 13,231 resolved. A priority was to bring justice closer to historically disadvantaged sectors, such as Indigenous communities and women.

The Court's autonomy was also emphasized, with Aguilar noting that while the Judiciary remained independent from other branches of government, it did not mean distance. However, some former justices questioned the Court's performance. Retired Justice Javier Laynez Potisek argued that the Court handled fewer cases than its predecessor and suggested that statistical figures may not accurately reflect the Court's actual operations.

Retired Justice María Emilia Molina criticized the Court's rulings in matters of concern to the government, stating that it seemed more focused on defending the State's rights than the rights of the people.