Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo has called on citizens to take part in what she described as a historic event: the first-ever popular election of the Judicial Branch in Mexico, scheduled for Saturday, June 1. Through this consultation, the public will directly elect judges, magistrates, and justices of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN).
In a video message shared on social media, Sheinbaum emphasized that this election marks a decisive step in Mexico’s democratic transformation. “It’s in your hands—your decision—who will form the new Judicial Branch. A Judicial Branch that is honest, close to the people, and not appointed by the President or legislators, but elected by the people of Mexico,” she stated.
Sheinbaum rejected claims from some sectors suggesting that the reform seeks to create a judiciary subordinate to the executive or political parties. She clarified that, unlike the 1999 reform—in which the Federal Executive appointed Supreme Court justices—this initiative aims to hand that power over to the people, as part of an authentic transformation of the justice system.
The president reaffirmed that this election responds to the desire for transparent justice, free from privilege and corruption, and to the need to break with old structures that distanced the judiciary from the people. She stressed that the popular vote will now serve as the mechanism to democratically legitimize those who administer justice in the country.
“This is the great transformation our country is experiencing. Participate tomorrow, June 1st, in the election of the Judicial Branch,” Sheinbaum concluded, reiterating her invitation for all citizens to exercise their right to decide on one of the pillars of Mexico’s institutional life.
