Overview
- The Judicial Administration Body (OAJ) instituted a new pay table on September 5 that lowered net salaries for Supreme Court ministers, magistrates, and judges and set a ceiling so no one earns more than President Claudia Sheinbaum.
- Leaders elected to head the Association of Judges and Magistrates (Jufed) argue the cuts violate Articles 94 and 123 of the Constitution and international standards, warning of harm to judicial independence.
- Members of the incoming Jufed leadership report an additional, unexpected deduction appearing on December pay stubs that varies by each judge’s income.
- OAJ president Néstor Vargas Solano said on December 12 that the prior pay schedule expired on August 31 under the now-defunct Judicial Council, creating a risk to paying more than 50,000 employees in early September.
- OAJ sources maintain that salary adjustments occurred only on September 5 and also covered senior staff in levels 2 to 11 who had been earning above the president, leaving the dispute unresolved ahead of Jufed taking office in January 2026.