Mexico president defends Supreme Court chief justice's term extension

FILE PHOTO: Supreme Court judge Arturo Zaldivar Lelo de Larrea attends a meeting at Supreme Court building in Mexico City, Mexico, November 4, 2015. REUTERS/Edgard Garrido/File Photo

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador on Monday defended a vote by Mexico's congress to extend the term of the Supreme Court chief justice, saying the judge needed more time to oversee reform of a compromised judiciary.

The congress, which is controlled by Lopez Obrador's MORENA party, last week voted to prolong the term of Supreme Court President Arturo Zaldivar by two years until Nov. 30, 2024, after the extension was included in a raft of judicial reforms.