MEXICO CITY, (Reuters) – Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the country’s Supreme Court yesterday for overstepping its authority as it weighs whether to deem part of a recently-enacted judicial reform unconstitutional.
The court is expected to vote today on a proposal that seeks to invalidate core parts of the judicial reform, which has already been written into law and requires that all judges be elected by popular vote over the next few years.
The scheduled vote puts the Supreme Court on a collision course with Mexico’s Congress and presidency and threatens to trigger a full-blown institutional crisis.
To be approved, the proposal requires the support of at least eight of the court’s 11 justices.
The court appears to have the numbers with three members publicly coming out in favor of the judicial reform and eight justices submitting their resignations in protest against the reform. Seven of those resignations will only take effect next year after judicial elections are set to be held.
“It has to be made very clear that eight justices cannot be above the people,” Sheinbaum told reporters at her morning press conference, adding that her government is ready to respond to any ruling from the court.
“The court is overstepping its functions,” she added.
The stakes were raised in recent days, with Congress rushing through a bill that makes constitutional changes approved by Congress unchallengeable in a direct attempt to stop the Supreme Court from ruling on the judicial overhaul and other reforms driven by ruling party Morena and its allies.
The judicial reform has spooked markets and drawn criticism from the U.S., Mexico’s largest trade partner, which said it put the country’s rule of law at risk.
Despite the opposition, polls show Sheinbaum remains popular at home with 70% approval rating, according to a survey published on Monday by business daily El Financiero.