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| Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation | |
|---|---|
| Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación | |
.svg) | |
 Interactive map of Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation | |
| 19°25′52.01″N99°7′55.58″W / 19.4311139°N 99.1321056°W /19.4311139; -99.1321056 | |
| Established | 1825 |
| Jurisdiction |  Mexico |
| Location | Pino Suárez no. 2, Colonia Centro, Delegación Cuauhtémoc, C.P. 06065, Mexico City |
| Coordinates | 19°25′52.01″N99°7′55.58″W / 19.4311139°N 99.1321056°W /19.4311139; -99.1321056 |
| Composition method | Popular vote |
| Authorised by | Constitution of Mexico |
| Judge term length | 12 years |
| Number of positions | 9 |
| Website | https://www.scjn.gob.mx/ |
| President | |
| Currently | Hugo Aguilar Ortiz |
| Since | 1 September 2025 |
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| Mexico portal |
TheSupreme Court of Mexico, formally theSupreme Court of Justice of the Nation (Spanish:Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación;SCJN) is highest court in Mexico and the apex of theMexican federal judiciary.
Judges of the SCJN are appointed for 15 years.[1] They are ratified through affirmation by theSenate from a list proposed by thepresident of the republic. The ministers chosen will select from among themselves who shall be the president of the court to serve a four-year period; any given minister may serve out more than one term as president, but may not do so consecutively.
The direct institutional predecessor to Mexico's modern supreme court was theReal Audiencia of Mexico (lit. 'Royal Audiencia of Mexico'). Created by royal decree on 13 December 1527, and seated inMexico City, the Audiencia functioned as the highest appellate tribunal inNew Spain with comprehensive civil and criminal jurisdiction.
The Audiencia's role, however, extended far beyond the purely judicial. In the Spanish colonial system, which operated without strictseparation of powers, the Audiencia served as a critical advisory body to theviceroy and exercised significant governmental and administrative authority. When the office of viceroy became vacant, the Audiencia assumed interim executive control of the colonial government. The tribunal comprised royally appointed judges known asoidores (lit. 'hearers'), who acted as delegates of the monarch in administering justice.[2]
The ideological foundation for an independent Mexican judiciary was laid during theMexican War of Independence.José María Morelos y Pavón presented his documentSentimientos de la Nación (lit. 'Sentiments of the Nation') on 14 September 1813, at the opening of theCongress of Chilpancingo. In Article 6 of this document, Morelos articulated a clear vision for dividing sovereignty into three branches, which was given legal form in theConstitution of Apatzingán. Promulgated on 22 October 1814 by the Congress of Chilpancingo, the constitution mandated the creation of theSupremo Tribunal de Justicia (lit. 'Supreme Tribunal of Justice'), composed of five individuals.[3]
The tribunal was formally installed on 7 March 1815, inArio, Michoacán, with José María Sánchez de Arriola serving as its first president.[4] Despite the difficult circumstances of war, the tribunal attempted to function as an independent judicial body. When royalist forces underAgustín de Iturbide captured Ario on 5 May 1815, the tribunal was forced to relocate repeatedly. The tribunal's existence was brief, as it, along with the other branches of the insurgent government, were dissolved on 15 December 1815.[3]
Following the consummation of Mexico’s independence in 1821, thePlan de Iguala of 24 February provided the basis for transitional arrangements for governance and law, including the continuation of existing Spanish-era legal institutions such as the royal Audiencias. Following the collapse of theFirst Mexican Empire and the convocation of a constituent congress, theActa Constitutiva de la Federación formally adopted a federal republican model and for the first time used the termCorte Suprema de Justicia (lit. 'Supreme Court of Justice').[5] The judicial framework combined French and Spanish influences, reflecting the Napoleonic model of codified law and administrative hierarchy, while the federal structure was inspired by theConstitution of the United States.[6][7]
TheConstitution of 1824 established the modern Mexican federal state and its judiciary. Title V, Article 123 declared that the judicial power of the federation would reside in a Supreme Court of Justice, circuit tribunals, and district courts.[6] The Constitution provided that the Supreme Court would consist of eleven ministers and a prosecutor. The method of appointment reflected federalist compromise: each state legislature was to nominate candidates on the same day, the certificates of which were submitted to the federal Congress; then theChamber of Deputies would deliberate and select among the nominees.[5][7]
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation was formally installed and began its functions on 15 March 1825, holding its inaugural session in the National Palace of Mexico City.[6] The original bench included several distinguished jurists, among them Juan José Flores Alatorre,Manuel de la Peña y Peña, and Juan Gómez Navarrete, all of whom had previously served asoidores in the colonial Audiencias.[8]Miguel Domínguez, a prominent lawyer and former insurgent leader, was elected as the first President of the Supreme Court.
From its inception, the Court faced substantial institutional and practical difficulties. It operated with limited staff, inadequate facilities, and a severely constrained budget.[8] Moreover, Congress had not yet enacted the necessary implementing legislation to define the Court’s organization and jurisdiction. In the absence of an Organic Law or Internal Regulations, the justices initially confined their work largely to administrative correspondence and relied on colonial-era Spanish law and the1812 Constitution of Cádiz as provisional legal frameworks.[6][7] Not until 1826 did Congress approve the Bases for the Regulation of the Supreme Court, together with the Law of Circuit Tribunals and District Judges, which formally established the structure of the federal judiciary.[5]
Under the 1824 Constitution, the Supreme Court was granted jurisdiction over a range of cases: disputes involving federal entities; cases concerning contracts or business in which the federal government was a party; conflicts of jurisdiction between courts; and political trials for official misconduct by senior public officials, including the President, Vice President, cabinet ministers, and state governors. Within the Federal District and federal territories, the Court also exercised ordinary appellate jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters, functioning as both a court of second and third instance.[5]
The Supreme Court's appointment method and size have been reformed multiple times throughout Mexican history. The selection process evolved from indirect legislative elections to presidential nomination with Senate approval, and finally to direct popular election beginning in 2024. Court size varied from 9 to 26 justices across different constitutional periods.
| Period | Constitution/Reform | Selection method | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1824–1857 | Constitution of 1824 | Indirect legislative election | State legislatures proposed candidates; theChamber of Deputies made the final selection.[9] |
| 1857–1917 | Constitution of 1857 | Indirect popular election | Citizens voted for electors who then voted for justices.[9] |
| 1917–1928 | Constitution of 1917 | Indirect legislative election | State legislatures nominated one candidate each; Congress elected justices by secret ballot and majority vote.[9] |
| 1928–1994 | 1928 reform | Presidential nomination with Senate approval | ThePresident nominated candidates; theSenate approved by simple majority. |
| 1994–2024 | 1994 reform | Presidential nomination with Senate supermajority | The President submitted three candidates; the Senate approved one bytwo-thirds vote. |
| 2024–present | 2024 reform | Direct popular election | Justices are elected directly by citizens in a national vote. |
| Period | Constitution/Reform | Number of justices |
|---|---|---|
| 1824–1857 | Constitution of 1824 | 11[9] |
| 1857–1917 | Constitution of 1857 | 11[9] |
| 1917–1928 | Constitution of 1917 | 11[9] |
| 1928–1934 | 1928 reform | 16[9] |
| 1934–1951 | 1934 reform | 21[9] |
| 1951–1994 | 1951 reform | 26[9] |
| 1994–2024 | 1994 reform | 11[10] |
| 2024–present | 2024 reform | 9 |
The Constitution requires that the appointment of ministers of the court should fall to those persons who have served ably, effectively and honorably in the administration of justice, or to those who have distinguished themselves by their honor, competence and professional background in the exercise of their duties.
Ministers may take leave of their posts for three reasons:
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation is composed of nine justices. From among its members, one is designated as president for a two-year term. The presidency is determined by the order of votes received in the judicial election, beginning with the justice obtaining the highest number of votes and rotating in descending order. The current president isHugo Aguilar Ortiz.
| Justice | Age at | Start date / length of service | Election | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Start | Present | ||||
 | (President) Hugo Aguilar Ortiz (1973-04-01)1 April 1973 (age 52) San Agustín Tlacotepec, Oaxaca | 52 | 52 | 1 September 2025 87 days | 2025 |
.jpg) | Lenia Batres Guadarrama[a] (1969-08-06)6 August 1969 (age 56) Mexico City | 54 | 56 | 14 December 2023 1 year, 11 months | |
.jpg) | Yasmín Esquivel Mossa[a] (1963-09-15)15 September 1963 (age 62) Mexico City | 55 | 62 | 12 March 2019 6 years, 8 months | |
.jpg) | Loretta Ortiz Ahlf[a] (1955-02-24)24 February 1955 (age 70) Mexico City | 66 | 70 | 12 December 2021 3 years, 11 months | |
| María Estela Ríos González (1947-04-04)4 April 1947 (age 78) Mexico City | 78 | 78 | 1 September 2025 87 days | ||
| Giovanni Azael Figueroa Mejía (1978-08-07)7 August 1978 (age 47) Tuxpan, Nayarit | 47 | 47 | 1 September 2025 87 days | ||
| Irving Espinosa Betanzo (1975-12-23)23 December 1975 (age 49) Mexico City | 49 | 49 | 1 September 2025 87 days | ||
| Arístides Rodrigo Guerrero García (1984-04-27)27 April 1984 (age 41) Mexico City | 41 | 41 | 1 September 2025 87 days | ||
 | Sara Irene Herrerías Guerra (1964-02-25)25 February 1964 (age 61) Mexico City | 61 | 61 | 1 September 2025 87 days | |
The following persons were once Presidents of the Supreme Court under the1917 Constitution:
The court itself is located just off themain plaza ofMexico City on the corners of Pino Suarez and Carranza Streets. It was built between 1935 and 1941 by Mexican architectAntonio Muñoz Garcia.[11] Prior to theConquest, this site was reserved for the ritual known asDance of the Flyers which is still practiced today inPapantla.Hernán Cortés claimed the property after the Conquest and its ownership was in dispute during much of the colonial period with Cortes' heirs, the city government, and theRoyal and Pontifical University all claiming rights. It was also the site of a very large market known as El Volador.[12]
Within the building, there are four flanks painted in 1941 byJosé Clemente Orozco, two of which are namedThe Social Labor Movement andCommonwealth. There is also a mural done by American artistGeorge Biddle entitled "War and Peace" at the entrance to the law library.[12] The building also contains a mural byRafael Cauduro, which "graphically illustrates the Gran Guignol of Mexican torture",[citation needed] and includes a depiction of the 1968Tlatelolco massacre as well as "a cut-away of a prison, perhaps the infamous Lecumberri Black Palace where student leaders who escaped death were jailed."[citation needed]
While this building is still the chief seat for the Supreme Court, an alternative site at Avenida Revolución was opened in 2002.[13]
building for the nat. supreme court, 1929 (constructed 1935-41).
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19°25′52.01″N99°7′55.58″W / 19.4311139°N 99.1321056°W /19.4311139; -99.1321056
