Norma Pina Hernandez has been elected as Mexico’s first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court after three rounds of voting, according to reports.
Hernandez, who has 34 years of judicial experience, secured six votes over Minister Alfredo Gutierrez Ortiz Mena’s five, outnumbering the other four contenders.
“I recognise the very important determination of this plenary session to break what seemed like an inaccessible glass ceiling. I feel accompanied, supported, and agreed upon by all of them and by all of us. I feel very strong because I know that we are all here, we place ourselves for the first time in the centre of the horseshoe of this plenary court, demonstrating and showing us that we can,” Hernandez affirmed.
In contrast to Zaldivar, who came into office determined to eradicate vices and practises that had accumulated over time in the courts, Hernandez stressed her love for the “great institution” that is the PJF above all. According to Reforma, Hernandez repeatedly criticised her predecessors while forging a close bond with President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador.
Pina Hernandez, who was appointed to the Court by the previous president, Enrique Pena Nieto, at the end of 2015, is notable as she is the final career judge to preside over a hearing after the four judges appointed by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador served as “external” lawyers to the Federal Police Judicial Force.
