Law to Protect Indigenous Rights Falls on Procedural Ground
Mexico's Supreme Court struck down a military justice reform meant to aid indigenous people. The reason? It lacked their input. Now, lawmakers scramble to consult those impacted by a law designed to help them, sparking debate on the complexities of justice.
Occasionally, the wheels of justice grind with curious inconsistency. They may grind exceedingly slow at times, and at others, spin so fast they generate legal paradoxes. Such is the case of the ongoing legislative saga that began in 2016 regarding how military justice intersects with the rights of indigenous and Afro-Mexican peoples in Mexico.
Let's rewind to May 2016. A reform aimed at ensuring due process for indigenous people under the military court system is passed into law. A victory for marginalized communities, or so you'd think. But hold your horses – a plot twist was coming.
