Mexico's new justice system will need work

Abstract

Subject Mexico's new criminal justice system is coming to the end of its transition period. Significance The eight-year transition of Mexico's paper-based, inquisitorial system of criminal justice to an oral, adversarial one is due to be completed by June 18. The aim is to increase transparency, expediency and the quality of justice. However, key elements of the reform are missing, particularly regarding alternative justice and mediation mechanisms, and President Enrique Pena Nieto said in his third state-of-the-nation address last September that 40% of the country had yet to implement the new system. Impacts Experience and human and technical resource disparities in the criminal justice system will fuel doubts about its operability. Police ineffectiveness at the state and municipal level may exacerbate public perceptions that the new system is soft on crime. Success will depend on the authorities' commitment to monitoring implementation and performance.