Judicial independence: the politics of supreme court judge in Mexico

Abstract

This paper will examine the relationship between the Supreme Court and the executive from two perspectives which have determined the nature of the relationship, namely the institutional aspects and the career patterns of Supreme Court ministers. Firstly, I will address the question of judicial independence and its relevance for constitutional rule. Secondly, the paper will examine in the Mexican case the institutional aspects which have acted as constraints on the advancement of the Independence of the judiciary vis a vis the executive, and how this has significantly shaped the relationship between the two branches of government. Here it is important to consider the nature of the Mexican political system, and the peculiarities of the form of constitutional rule that developed in Mexico in the post-revolutionary years. The final section of the article will link this to the career paths of the members of the Supreme Court.