In the context of an academic debate on the future of justice in Mexico, Ana María Ibarra Olguín offered the keynote lecture “What judges do we want and what judges do we need?”, organized by the Bar and College of Lawyers of Tabasco at the CMIC Auditorium, Leandro Rovirosa Wade.
Before an auditorium filled with jurists, academics, and law students, Judge Ibarra Olguín emphasized that justice cannot continue to be an inaccessible privilege, an empty promise, or an unachievable hope.
“Judges, magistrates, and ministers have the responsibility to correct mistakes before disdainfully ignoring the most urgent social needs,” she affirmed.
The speaker highlighted the need for judges with a judicial philosophy based on three fundamental pillars: justice with equity, social sense, and institutional responsibility. In her message, she stressed that courts must be spaces where the demands of the most disadvantaged are resolved with empathy and sensitivity, prioritizing equity over formalist rigor.
“We need judges who understand that their decisions transcend the files and shape the course of social change,” pointed out Ibarra Olguín, reiterating that judges must take an active role in transforming the law to adapt it to contemporary realities without losing sight of respect for precedents and legal certainty.
During her presentation, she also addressed the importance of judges understanding their institutional responsibility. “The Judiciary cannot be isolated from the political and social reality of the country. The Judiciary must cease to be an institution distant from the people. For this, we need judges who understand their role as guarantors of rights, who listen to people and resolve with social sensitivity.” Their function is not to obstruct social change, but to accompany it, ensuring that it takes place under the protection of the Constitution,” she argued.
Finally, Ana María Ibarra concluded with a strong message: “We must regain citizen trust in justice. Villahermosa, Tabasco.
