The reform should not be directed at the authorities but at the judicial system, since the errors that are later blamed on the judges are usually those of the prosecutors or the police, said Judge Octavio Pineda during yesterday morning’s demonstration in the context of the work stoppage against the judicial reform.
“We believe that a reform of the judicial system is needed, not just the power itself – (in which) there are also deficiencies – we believe that the serious failures are in the Executive, in criminal matters. The Attorney General’s Office, the police, are not properly prepared, trained, and the cases where an acquittal sentence is issued or are not linked to the procedure is for this reason, because the files are not properly integrated, they do not have evidence, they do not come with evidence, so it is very difficult for a judge to resolve,” said the magistrate of the Collegiate Court of Appeals of the Judicial Branch of the Federation in Ciudad Juárez. Meanwhile, according to the criminal court hearing schedule, 13 hearings were postponed in Ciudad Juárez, 11 of which were to “decide on the review of the conditions or obligations imposed,” one to “determine compliance with the alternative prison sentence,” and another for “computation of the sentence,” although four initial hearings (urgent resolution) were attended, as well as a continuation of the initial hearing (where the accused persons’ link to the process or not is defined), one to “decide on the benefit of conditional release,” and one more for “request for early release.”
There are 15 hearings scheduled for today, Thursday, of which nine have already been cancelled.
Pineda spoke after the symbolic act of protest, in which the Mexican National Anthem was sung in the company of the Conalep III War Band, and then listened to a statement by Itzel Lara, of the Criminal Courts. The judicial reform, he said, is already in the hands of the Legislative Branch, but it was carried out without taking into account what was said in the dialogues, in addition to the fact that “those dialogues were a simulation, because we were not heard.” Lara accused that said reform seeks through its wording “to disguise the intention, which is to annul the division of powers, of the only power that is a counterweight against authoritarian acts.” From the first minute of Wednesday, when the doors were closed for non-urgent matters, there was “a fairly strong cohesion” among those who work for the Judicial Branch of the Federation (PJF) that will continue in the coming days of the work stoppage against the changes, said Carlos Rascón, of the Third Labor Court and press officer during these demonstrations. Both judges and magistrates, middle management and the working class, he added, joined together with the purpose of “being heard and for dialogue to be established in a real way.” Rascón commented that the popular election of judges and magistrates, as proposed by the federal Executive in the judicial reform, would only put into play transcendental decisions regarding the rights of citizens. “We want matters not to be left to the discretion of people who are not the most capable… If they do not have the notions or motivation, we are facing a critical situation against the Rule of Law in Mexico,” he specified. Magistrate Pineda Toribio agreed with this assessment, who said that the changes under discussion will end in decisions that respond to the interests of political bodies and not to human rights. “There will not be a strong judicial system. There will not be judges, magistrates, who resolve in accordance with respect for human rights. There will be a mandate from political bodies to resolve in accordance with their own interests.” Rascón shared that at least in the Labor Court an average of three hearings are held daily, and those matters requiring urgent resolution such as strikes will not be left unattended. The Labor Court worker also specified that there is sufficient personnel to cover matters such as the filing of amparos related to the freedom of persons, life and migration.
#hearings #cancelled #due #strikes
