Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Inching toward reform

In 2008, Mexico amended its constitution to remake its judicial system. Progress continues as the 2016 deadline approaches. The change and the process have been referred to before in this blog:

This article refers to "accusatorial" trials rather than "adversarial." I think the meanings are the same.

USD to help prepare Mexico for oral trials: Merida Initiative program focuses on law students and professors

The University of San Diego is collaborating with the National Autonomous University of Mexico to prepare Mexican students and law professors for their country’s transition to U.S.-style oral trials…

[T]he program… entitled “Oral Adversarial Skill-Building Immersion Seminar,” … comes as Mexico’s federal and state judicial systems transition from Mexico’s traditional inquisitorial approach where judges rely heavily on written documents.

Under the program, 240 law school students and faculty members from the Mexico City-based public university early next year will attend 40-hour skill building workshops. The training from U.S. attorneys, judges, magistrates and other experts includes sessions on presenting trial evidence and developing statements.

In addition to the workshops, selected participants will participate in study tours that will take them to Harvard, American University and University of San Diego. It will also include a symposium on focusing on Mexico’s progress in implementing judicial reform featuring key judicial scholars.

The program is part of the Merida Initiative, a multi-billion-dollar security agreement funded by the U.S. government that includes combating crime, promoting judicial reform, increasing border security and building resilient communities in Mexico.

A 2008 constitutional amendment in Mexico requires that by 2016 state and federal judicial systems adopt oral accusatorial trials…

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