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By KELIN DILLON

On Thursday, January 9, the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) ruled the Judicial Power of the Federation (PJF) Evaluation Committee to reinstate seven candidates for positions in the Electoral Tribunal of the Judicial Branch of the Federation (TEPJF). 

These candidates were previously disqualified for allegedly failing to meet specific eligibility requirements. However, the candidates who filed appeals claimed that the Evaluation Committee should have provided them with an opportunity to address the deficiencies in their applications.

In the ruling surrounding 15 appeals, the SCJN confirmed the ineligibility of four candidates, thereby upholding the decisions previously made by the PJF Evaluation Committee.

Additionally, Mexico’s highest court dismissed three appeals because a qualified majority was not sufficient to overturn the Committee’s rulings, while another appeal was rejected as untimely.

The ministers directed the Evaluation Committee to re-add Paulo Abraham Ordaz, Juan Carlos Silva Adaya, Juan de Jesús Alvarado Sánchez, Beatriz Mejía Ruiz, Denny Martínez Ramírez, Oswald Lara Borges, and Walter Yared Limón to the list of eligible candidates. 

Minister Loretta Ortiz Ahlf emphasized that, at this stage in the process, verifying compliance with constitutional eligibility requirements should facilitate inclusion and promote diverse participation rather than serve as a barrier to legitimate aspirations.

“Applying excessively rigid criteria that limit participation contravenes the primary objective of democratizing justice and creating spaces that enrich our judicial system with various perspectives,” said Ortiz Ahlf. 

Minister Ortiz Ahlf further highlighted that this electoral process aims to democratize the composition of judicial powers, ensuring the representation of perspectives that mirror Mexico’s diverse society.

In related news, following a meeting with President Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, Guadalupe Taddei, the president of the National Electoral Institute (INE), announced plans for a budget increase to facilitate the election of members of the Judicial Branch. 

While specific figures were not disclosed, Taddei indicated that the INE aims to secure between 1 billion and 1.5 billion pesos for June’s upcoming judicial elections.