Mexico’s legal landscape is in the midst of a critical transformation resulting from a dramatic constitutional reform that will cause the complete overhaul of its entire federal judiciary by judges elected in general elections. The effects of this reform at this point are difficult to fully comprehend. They could be far reaching on a macro level, impacting not only the country itself but also its trading partners. What is certain, though, is that while the dust settles, companies or individuals doing business in and out of Mexico are paying attention and will seek ways to structure their investments and adjudicate the disputes emanating from them favoring alternative mechanisms such as arbitration.
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The Backdrop, Salient Elements and Status of Mexico’s Judicial Reform

Culminating years of back-and-forth contentious discussions between the administration of former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and Mexico’s federal judiciary, on Sept. 15, 2024, a constitutional amendment was signed into law and published at the Official Gazette to entirely transform the election process and composition of Mexico’s federal judiciary, at all levels (the Judicial Reform).