Rule of law, citizenship and access to justice in Mexico

Abstract

This paper will argue that perceptions of citizenship and rights are changing at a societal level at a fairly fundamental level. As a consequence of this, the demands for rights protection on the state, specifically through improved justice mechanisms, is becoming more evident. Moreover, there are changes in the kinds of rights that figure most prominently in the concerns of Mexican society. These changes, which to a certain degree can be attributed to transformations in the political culture of the country, are also the result of a shifting political and institutional environment, and to socio-economic factors. In turn, developments in the nature of civil and political values in society will have an impact on state institutions and political development. The direction of causality of these changes, by the very nature of the issues under consideration, which are elusive and difficult to measure, defy clear-cut conclusions. The paper, firstly will briefly discuss the connection between citizenship and rule of law, and between access to justice and regime legitimacy. Secondly, it will present some reflections on the nature and development of citizenship in the context of Mexico's peculiar political development. Finally it will examine public perceptions of the legal institutions, and the problems of access to justice which characterize the mechanisms of justice administration in Mexico.