No State Adequately Prepared to Implement Oral Accusatory Trial System: CIDAC Sebastian Barragan - Aristegui Noticias
go to original May 5, 2016

At their current rates of progress, it will take the thirty-two states eleven more years to achieve sufficient progress to ensure the optimal performance of the oral accusatory trial system, which comes into force throughout the country on a mandatory basis on June 18 of this year. So concludes a study by the Center of Research for Development (CIDAC).

The new criminal justice system is the result of a constitutional amendment published on June 18, 2008, which seeks to establish an adversarial scheme to replace the "inefficient inquisitorial system" [in which criminal cases are presented to a judge by prosecution and defense via written documents only] that applies in Mexico, says the document presented on Wednesday. Among its main strengths is the implementation of oral trials and strict respect for due process.

"We are still not close to having an effective, efficient criminal justice system that ensures respect for the human rights of the accused and the victims," says the study.

The research organization established a ranking of the progress of each state, with a maximum score of one thousand points for full implementation. Guanajuato was in first place, but only attained 648 points and its level of progress corresponds to what was targeted for 2013. In last places are Sonora with 260 points, Guerrero 268, Colima and Coahuila 275, Campeche 281, Tlaxcala 281 and Hidalgo 288. [far below the targets for 2013]. In this list, Mexico City scored 289 points.



With these advances, it will take 11 years for the system to operate effectively and properly.

Read the rest at Mexico Voices

Related: Mexico’s 43 Missing Students Highlight the Urgent Need to Fix the Country’s Broken Justice System (The Huffington Post)

Mexico Voices is a blogging endeavor aimed at raising the awareness of U.S. citizens regarding the destructive impact of the U.S. economic policy and the War on Drugs on Mexico — on its people, their economic and physical security and their human rights, on the nation’s dysfunctional justice system, and on the rule of law and Mexico’s fragile democracy. Visit the website at MexicoVoices.blogspot.mx>

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