Former federal judges and magistrates held a march in Mexico City to demand the payment of compensation and benefits owed to them after being dismissed due to the constitutional reform to the Judicial Power, published on September 15, 2024. In a public statement, the judges denounced that the Judicial Administration Body (OAJ) has been in breach of the legal and constitutional provisions that establish the payment of compensation and guarantee of labor rights for 73 days. Issuing a 'letter of goodwill' does not mean complying with what the Constitution or the Law mandates. The reform establishes that dismissed magistrates and judges are entitled to receive three months' salary and twenty days for each year of service, as well as complementary benefits such as pensions, medical support, and other benefits. However, according to the statement, more than 800 people have been affected, including their families, who depend on these incomes to cover basic health, food, education, and housing needs. Furthermore, the former judges warned that the OAJ circulated a draft to repeal the General Agreement that regulates the Supplementary Pension Plan, which they say creates 'serious uncertainty for people already retired or in the process of retiring, who, after decades of service, trusted in a legitimate and dignified retirement scheme'. Among their demands, the former judges insist on the full payment of compensation and benefits by November; the maintenance of the Supplementary Pension Plan; and the payment of proportional benefits corresponding to the year 2025. They also demand that all payments be made institutionally via bank deposit to the accounts of each magistrate and judge. The dismissed judges affirmed that they will maintain their protests until the authorities comply with what is established in the Constitution and the Organic Law of the Judicial Power of the Federation.
