Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation
Encyclopedia
The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation ( (SCJN) is the highest federal court in the United Mexican States. It consists of a President of the Supreme Court (Chief Justice
) and ten Ministers (Associate Justice
s) who are confirmed by the Senate from a list proposed by the President of the Republic
.
Justices of the SCJN serve for fifteen years and are not eligible to serve a second term. From among their number, the justices elect the President of the Court to serve a four-year period; a given justice may serve more than one term as president, but not in consecutive periods.
The court itself is located just off the main plaza
of Mexico City on the corners of Pino Suarez and Carranza Streets. It was built between 1935 and 1941 by Antonio Muñoz Garcia. Prior to the Conquest, this site was reserved for the ritual known as "Dance of the Flyers
" which is still practice today in Papantla
. Hernan Cortes
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 the Royal and Pontifical University all claiming rights. It was also the site of a very large market known as El Volador.
The interior of the building contains four panels painted in 1941 by José Clemente Orozco
, two of which are named "The Social Labor Movement" and "National Wealth." There is also one mural done by American artist George Biddle
entitled "War and Peace" at the entrance to the library. The building also contains a mural by Rafael Cauduro, which "graphically illustrates the Gran Guignol of Mexican torture", and includes a depiction of the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre
as well as "a cut-away of a prison, perhaps the infamous Lecumberri Black Palace where the student leaders who escaped death were jailed."
While this building is still the main home of the Court, an alternative site on Avenida Revolución was established in 2002.
("Presidente de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación") under the 1917 Constitution
:
("Ministro de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación") under the 1917 Constitution
:
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
) and ten Ministers (Associate Justice
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
s) who are confirmed by the Senate from a list proposed by the President of the Republic
President of Mexico
The President of the United Mexican States is the head of state and government of Mexico. Under the Constitution, the president is also the Supreme Commander of the Mexican armed forces...
.
Justices of the SCJN serve for fifteen years and are not eligible to serve a second term. From among their number, the justices elect the President of the Court to serve a four-year period; a given justice may serve more than one term as president, but not in consecutive periods.
Supreme Court building
Zócalo
The Zócalo is the main plaza or square in the heart of the historic center of Mexico City. The plaza used to be known simply as the "Main Square" or "Arms Square," and today its formal name is Plaza de la Constitución...
of Mexico City on the corners of Pino Suarez and Carranza Streets. It was built between 1935 and 1941 by Antonio Muñoz Garcia. Prior to the Conquest, this site was reserved for the ritual known as "Dance of the Flyers
Danza de los Voladores de Papantla
The Danza de los Voladores is a ceremony/ritual which has its roots in the pre-Hispanic period and presently best known as associated with the town of Papantla, Veracruz. It is believed to have originated with the Nahua, Huastec and Otomi peoples in central Mexico, and then spread throughout most...
" which is still practice today in Papantla
Papantla
Papantla is a city and municipality located in the north of the state of Veracruz, Mexico, in the Sierra Papanteca range and on the Gulf of Mexico. The city was founded in the 13th century by the Totonacs and has dominated the Totonacapan region of the state since then...
. Hernan Cortes
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
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 the Royal and Pontifical University all claiming rights. It was also the site of a very large market known as El Volador.
The interior of the building contains four panels painted in 1941 by José Clemente Orozco
José Clemente Orozco
José Clemente Orozco was a Mexican social realist painter, who specialized in bold murals that established the Mexican Mural Renaissance together with murals by Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, and others...
, two of which are named "The Social Labor Movement" and "National Wealth." There is also one mural done by American artist George Biddle
George Biddle
George Biddle was an American artist best known for his social realism, combat art, and his strong advocacy of government-sponsored art projects...
entitled "War and Peace" at the entrance to the library. The building also contains a mural by Rafael Cauduro, which "graphically illustrates the Gran Guignol of Mexican torture", and includes a depiction of the 1968 Tlatelolco massacre
Tlatelolco massacre
The Tlatelolco massacre, also known as The Night of Tlatelolco , was a government massacre of student and civilian protesters and bystanders that took place during the afternoon and night of October 2, 1968, in the Plaza de las Tres Culturas in the Tlatelolco section of Mexico City...
as well as "a cut-away of a prison, perhaps the infamous Lecumberri Black Palace where the student leaders who escaped death were jailed."
While this building is still the main home of the Court, an alternative site on Avenida Revolución was established in 2002.
Current composition
| Title | Name | Born | Appt. By | Senate Conf. vote | Age at appt. | Elected / Length of service |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Justice | (age ) in Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... |
50 | ||||
| Justice | (age ) in Guadalajara Guadalajara, Jalisco Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality... , Jalisco Jalisco Jalisco officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Jalisco is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in Western Mexico and divided in 125 municipalities and its capital city is Guadalajara.It is one of the more important states... |
51 | |
|||
| Justice | in Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... |
40 | |
|||
| Justice | (age ) in Misantla, Veracruz Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is... |
53 | |
|||
| Justice | (age ) in Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... |
84 | 42 | |
||
| Justice | (age ) in San Cristóbal de las Casas San Cristóbal de las Casas San Cristóbal de las Casas also known as it's native Tsotsil name, Jovel is a city and municipality located in the Central Highlands region of the Mexican state of Chiapas... , Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las... |
83 | 48 | |
||
| Justice | (age ) in Tuxtla Gutiérrez Tuxtla Gutiérrez Tuxtla Gutiérrez is the capital and largest city of the Mexican state of Chiapas. It is considered to be the state’s most modern city, with most of its public buildings dating from the 20th century. One exception to this is the San Marcos Cathedral which began as a Dominican parish church built in... , Chiapas Chiapas Chiapas officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Chiapas is one of the 31 states that, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 118 municipalities and its capital city is Tuxtla Gutierrez. Other important cites in Chiapas include San Cristóbal de las... |
85 | 63 | |
||
| Justice | (age ) in Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... |
94 | 56 | |
||
| Justice | (age ) in Mexico City Mexico City Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole... |
91 | 60 | |
||
| Justice | (age ) in Querétaro, Querétaro Querétaro Querétaro officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Querétaro de Arteaga is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into 18 municipalities and its capital city is Santiago de Querétaro.... |
90 | 50 | |
||
| Justice | in Xalapa, Veracruz Veracruz Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is... |
91 | 50 | |
Chief Justices
The following have held the position of Chief JusticeChief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
("Presidente de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación") under the 1917 Constitution
Constitution of Mexico
The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States is the current constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, by a constitutional convention, during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constitutional Congress on February 5, 1917...
:
- 1917–1919: Enrique M. del Río
- 1919–1920: Ernesto Garza Pérez
- 1920–1922: Enrique Moreno Pérez
- 1922–1923: Gustavo A. Vicencio
- 1923–1924: Francisco Modesto Ramírez
- 1924–1925: Gustavo A. Vicencio
- 1925–1927: Manuel PadillaManuel PadillaManuel Padilla Pontvianne is a Mexican linebacker in American football. He is an international practice squad player for the Denver Broncos of the National Football League. He was assigned to the Broncos in 2008...
- 1927–1928: Francisco Díaz Lombardo
- 1928–1929: Jesús Guzmán Vaca
- 1929–1933: Julio GarcíaJulio GarciaJulio García or Julio Garcia may refer to:* Julio Acosta García , a president of Costa Rica* Julio A. Garcia , American attorney Julio Arnoldo Garcia* Julio César García, Mexican boxerThe name may also refer to:...
- 1934: Francisco H. Ruiz
- 1934–1940: Daniel V. Valencia
- 1941–1951: Salvador Urbina
- 1952: Roque Estrada ReynosoRoque Estrada ReynosoRoque Estrada Reynoso. Lawyer, journalist, writer. Born in Moyahua, Zacatecas on August 16, 1883. His parents were Camilo Estrada Reynoso and Micaela. His younger brother was Enrique Estrada. He organized workers in a socialist party in Guadalajara in 1904. He completed his law degree at the...
- 1953: Hilario Medina
- 1954: José María Ortiz Tirado
- 1955–1956: Vicente Santos Guajardo
- 1957: Hilario Medina
- 1958: Agapito Pozo Balbás
- 1959–1964: Alfonso Guzmán Neyra
- 1965–1968: Agapito Pozo Balbás
- 1969–1973: Alfonso Guzmán Neyra
- 1974–1975: Euquerio Guerrero López
- 1976: Mario G. Rebolledo Fernández
- 1977–1981: Agustín Téllez Cruces
- 1982: Mario G. Rebolledo Fernández
- 1982–1985: Jorge Iñárritu y Ramírez de Aguilar
- 1986–1990: Carlos del Río Rodríguez
- 1991–1994: Ulises Schmill Ordóñez
- 1995–1999: José Vicente Aguinaco Alemán
- 1999–2002: Genaro David Góngora Pimentel
- 2002–2006: Mariano Azuela GüitrónMariano Azuela GüitrónMariano Azuela Güitrón is a Mexican jurist who was a member of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation from 1983 to 2009 and served as its President from 2003 to 2007.-Personal life and education:...
- 2007–2011: Guillermo Ortiz Mayagoitia
- 2011-incumbent: Juan N. Silva MezaJuan N. Silva MezaJuan Nepomuceno Silva Meza , son of the writer Juan Silva Vega and professor Ana Ma Meza de Silva, is a Mexican jurist. He served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation since January 26th of 1995, having previously served extensively elsewhere in the judiciary,...
Associate Justices (Minister)
The following have held the position of Associate JusticeAssociate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
("Ministro de la Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación") under the 1917 Constitution
Constitution of Mexico
The Political Constitution of the United Mexican States is the current constitution of Mexico. It was drafted in Santiago de Querétaro, in the State of Querétaro, by a constitutional convention, during the Mexican Revolution. It was approved by the Constitutional Congress on February 5, 1917...
:
- 1917–1919:
- 1919–1920:
- 1920–1922:
- 1922–1923:
- 1923–1924:
- 1924–1925:
- 1925–1927:
- 1927–1928: