Mexico’s new Supreme Court takes office amid legitimacy concerns

The day opened with an Indigenous purification ritual in Mexico City’s Zócalo square, followed by the handover of the Staff of Command to the incoming justices. Later, the nine-member panel, dominated by allies of President Claudia Sheinbaum’s Morena party, was sworn in during a Senate ceremony.

Sheinbaum praised the reform as a “profoundly democratic event,” while Hugo Aguilar, a lawyer known for defending Indigenous rights, assumed the role of chief justice.

Critics argue that electing judges threatens judicial independence and risks consolidating Morena’s power, particularly after low voter turnout cast doubt on the legitimacy of the elections.