Mexico City, 4 January 2023 (TDI): Justice Norma Lucia Pina has been elected as the first-ever female Chief Justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court in its history on Monday.
Following a six-to-five vote on Monday, Justice Norma Lucia Pina was sworn in for four years of the term as a President of the Supreme Court of Mexico. During her oath-taking, she promised to keep the judicial system independent.
She also laid down her plans and said, “Judicial independence is indispensable in resolving conflict between the branches of government, my main proposal is to work to build majorities, leaving aside my personal visions”.
The Supreme Court of Mexico holds an election every 4 years. Chief Justice Arturo Zaldivar finished his term on 31 Dec 2022, and Justice Pina succeeded him by competing with Justice Yasmin Esquivel.
Justice Yasmin Esquivel was supported by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the President of Mexico. As Chief Justice, Norma Pina will head the entire judicial branch of the country.
It is considered that she is not an ally of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who promoted a plan to bring an energy sector under the state’s control.
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President Obrador’s policy of nationalizing the energy sector has also brought him into a dispute with the United States, which complained that Mexico’s policies put US-based companies at disadvantage and violate the region’s trade agreements.
However, some officials close to President Obrador have welcomed Pina’s election. Former Interior Secretary of the Obrador administration, Senator Olga Cordero congratulated Justice Pina.
She said, “Now is the time of human rights, the time for women”. The opposition parties have welcomed her election as well. Besides this, the former Chief Justice of Mexico’s Supreme Court has also congratulated her.
He said “it is a historic day for our country. For the first time, a woman occupies the presidency of SCJN.” Furthermore, he said, “I congratulate Norma Pina for having broken one of the highest glass ceilings. I wish you the best of success in your management at the head of PJF”.
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