The US Department of Justice Friday announced the launch of Mexico’s judicial bench book for criminal hearings and trials. This bench book “is designed to increase judicial economy, decrease caseloads, and standardize judicial practices across Mexico.”

Since 2018, Mexican law enforcement and military personnel have dealt with rising rates of crime-related violence in Mexico. The collaborators hope this book will standardize criminal proceedings to reduce appeals and ensure trials result in more substantiated convictions.

This judicial bench book is a collaboration between the Mexican federal judiciary, the Mexico City state judiciary, the Puebla state judiciary, and the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT).

After Mexico officially implements its bench book,  OPDAT and federal judiciary will continually monitor and evaluate how effectively the bench book serves its goals of “reducing average hearing durations and minimizing unnecessary delays and appeals.”

Mexico Supreme Court Justice Alfredo Gutierrez Ortiz Mena stated that the book would “not only define the nature and timing of roles, but also support said roles in jurisprudence, allowing to strategize.”