Mexico’s Senate voted on Friday to block courts from challenging or halting constitutional amendments approved by Congress. The vote was aimed at safeguarding a series of reforms from Supreme Court interference as the court reviews an extensive judicial overhaul.
With a significant majority vote of 85-41, the Senate cleared the two-thirds requirement to pass the reforms to Articles 105 and 107 of the Mexican Constitution. These reforms would make constitutional controversies unchallengeable by the courts, protecting constitutional amendments from judicial review. The amendment now goes to the lower house where President Claudia Sheinbaum’s coalition wields a powerful supermajority, signaling robust support for these changes.
The proposal faced sharp criticism from opposing voices. María Guadalupe Murguía Gutiérrez of the PAN party called Morena, President Sheinbaum’s political party, an authoritarian government and the dictatorship of Mexico. Luis Alfonso Silva Romo of the PVEM party dismissed the opposition’s protests, stating that all they can do now is make noise since the reform followed due legislative process. Meanwhile, Clemente Castañeda Hoeflich of Movimiento Ciudadano labeled the reform a robbery of the nation, emphasizing the difference between reforming power and seizing absolute power.
Friday’s vote builds on a recent constitutional amendment mandating that all federal judges in Mexico, including Supreme Court justices, be elected by popular vote. The reform has sparked concerns among investors, opposition leaders, and international allies like the US, who worry it could weaken the separation of powers and pose serious risks to Mexico’s democratic framework.
The reform has also faced a series of challenges from local judges, with the latest ordering its removal from the official gazette. On October 7, the Supreme Court stepped in, agreeing to examine the sweeping changes and assess their impact on judicial independence. This review marks a crucial, last-ditch effort by opponents aiming to halt the plan and preserve the judiciary’s autonomy.