Wikipedia

Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (Spanish: Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación, SCJN) is the Mexican institution serving as the country's federal high court and the spearhead organisation for the judiciary of the Mexican Federal Government. It consists of eleven magistrates, known as ministers of the court, one of whom is designated the court's president.

Supreme Court of Justice
of the Nation
Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación
Map
19°25′52.01″N 99°7′55.58″W / 19.4311139°N 99.1321056°W / 19.4311139; -99.1321056
Established1825
Jurisdiction Mexico
LocationPino Suárez no. 2, Colonia Centro, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06065, Mexico City
Coordinates19°25′52.01″N 99°7′55.58″W / 19.4311139°N 99.1321056°W / 19.4311139; -99.1321056
Composition methodSupreme Court
Authorised byConstitution of Mexico
Judge term length15 years
Number of positions11
Websitehttps://www.scjn.gob.mx/
President
CurrentlyNorma Lucía Piña Hernández
Since2 January 2023

Judges of the SCJN are appointed for 15 years.[1] They are ratified through affirmation by the Senate from a list proposed by the President of the Republic. The ministers chosen will select from among themselves who shall be the President of the Court to serve a four-year period; any given minister may serve out more than one term as president, but may not do so consecutively.

Requirements for holding a seat on the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation

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  • Be a natural born citizen of Mexico.
  • Be no less than 35 years of age nor over 65 years of age at the time of one's appointment
  • Have held a law degree for at least 10 years.
  • To have a good reputation and have not have been convicted of theft, fraud, forgery, breach of trust, or any other offense which could imply a punishment of more than one year in prison.
  • Not have been Director for Domestic Affairs, Chief of an Administrative Department, Attorney General of the Republic or as Mexico City Attorney General, Senator, Member of Parliament, Governor of any State, or Chief Executive of Mexico City during the year prior to his or her appointment.

The Constitution requires that the appointment of ministers of the court should fall to those persons who have served ably, effectively and honorably in the administration of justice, or to those who have distinguished themselves by their honor, competence and professional background in the exercise of their duties.

Ministers may take leave of their posts for three reasons:

  • The end of their terms
  • Relinquishment, which is only allowed in serious cases, all of which must be affirmed by the President and accepted or discarded by the Senate.
  • Voluntary retirement: Proceeds when the interested party requests their retirement, as long as they meet the conditions of age and seniority.

Supreme Court building

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Building of the Supreme Court of Justice of Mexico
 
Mexico's Supreme Court of Justice Building

The court itself is located just off the main plaza of Mexico City on the corners of Pino Suarez and Carranza Streets. It was built between 1935 and 1941 by Mexican architect Antonio Muñoz Garcia.[2] Prior to the Conquest, this site was reserved for the ritual known as Dance of the Flyers which is still practiced today in Papantla. Hernán Cortés claimed the property after the Conquest and its ownership was in dispute during much of the colonial period with Cortes' heirs, the city government, and the Royal and Pontifical University all claiming rights. It was also the site of a very large market known as El Volador.[3]

Within the building, there are four flanks painted in 1941 by José Clemente Orozco, two of which are named The Social Labor Movement and Commonwealth. There is also a mural done by American artist George Biddle entitled "War and Peace" at the entrance to the law library.[3] The building also contains a mural by Rafael Cauduro, which "graphically illustrates the Gran Guignol of Mexican torture",[citation needed] and includes a depiction of the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre as well as "a cut-away of a prison, perhaps the infamous Lecumberri Black Palace where student leaders who escaped death were jailed."[citation needed]

While this building is still the chief seat for the Supreme Court, an alternative site at Avenida Revolución was opened in 2002.[4]

Current make-up of the Supreme Court

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One of the chambers of the Mexican Supreme Court
 
Entrance to the court
Title Name Birth Appointer Affirmation by the Senate Age at appt. Elected /
Length of service
President Norma Lucía Piña Hernández[5] 29 July 1960
(age 65)
 Enrique Peña Nieto 79 63 10 December 2015
8 years, 11 months
Minister Luis María Aguilar Morales[6] 4 November 1949
(age 75)
in Mexico City 		Felipe Calderón 91 60 1 December 2009
14 years, 11 months
Minister Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo[7] 1 February 1961
(age 63)
in Xalapa, Veracruz 		Felipe Calderón 91 50 10 February 2011
13 years, 9 months
Minister Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena[8] 14 October 1969
(age 55)
in Cuernavaca, Morelos 		Felipe Calderón 103 41 1 December 2012
11 years, 11 months
Minister Alberto Pérez Dayán[9] 13 December 1960
(age 63)
in Mexico City 		Felipe Calderón 104 51 3 December 2012
11 years, 11 months
Minister Javier Laynez Potisek[10] 2 June 1959
(age 65)
in Torreón, Coahuila 		Enrique Peña Nieto 81 56 10 December 2015
8 years, 11 months
Minister Juan Luis González Alcántara Carrancá[11] 19 August 1949
(age 75)
in Mexico City 		Andrés Manuel López Obrador 114 69 20 December 2018
5 years, 11 months
Minister Yasmín Esquivel Mossa[12] 15 September 1963
(age 61)
in Mexico City 		Andrés Manuel López Obrador 95 55 12 March 2019
5 years, 8 months
Minister Margarita Ríos Farjat[13] 13 September 1973
(age 51)
in Monterrey, Nuevo León 		Andrés Manuel López Obrador 94 46 5 December 2019
4 years, 11 months
Minister Loretta Ortiz Ahlf[14] 24 February 1955
(age 69)
in Mexico City 		Andrés Manuel López Obrador 92 66 12 December 2021
2 years, 11 months
Minister Lenia Batres Guadarrama[15] 6 August 1969
(age 55)
in Mexico City 		Andrés Manuel López Obrador Appointed by the president of Mexico 54 14 December 2023
11 months

Presidents

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Meeting of the president Enrique Peña Nieto with the eleven Ministers of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation

The following persons were once Presidents of the Supreme Court under the 1917 Constitution:

References

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  1. ^ Article 94 Mexican Constitution
  2. ^ Percy Alvin Martin; Ronald Hilton (1945). Who's who in Latin America: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Men and Women of Latin America. Stanford University Press. building for the nat. supreme court, 1929 (constructed 1935-41).
  3. ^ a b Galindo, Carmen; Magdalena Galindo (2002). Mexico City Historic Center. Mexico City: Ediciones Nueva Guia. p. 60. ISBN 968-5437-29-7.
  4. ^ "¿Qué es la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación y dónde se ubica?" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 February 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  5. ^ "Norma Lucía Piña Hernández | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  6. ^ "Luis María Aguilar Morales | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  7. ^ "Jorge Mario Pardo Rebolledo | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  8. ^ "Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortiz Mena | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  9. ^ "Alberto Pérez Dayán | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  10. ^ "Javier Laynez Potisek | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  11. ^ "Juan Luis González Alcántara Carrancá | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  12. ^ "Yasmín Esquivel Mossa | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  13. ^ "Ana Margarita Ríos Farjat | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  14. ^ "Loretta Ortiz Ahlf | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
  15. ^ "Lenia Batres Guadarrama | Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación".
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