Mexican Senate gives general approval to judicial reform, final vote nears

Opposition senators protest behind the Senate executive table during the session at an alternate venue, after protesters broke into the Senate building as a highly contested judicial reform proposal is debated, in the historic center of Mexico City, Mexico, September 10, 2024. REUTERS/Luis Cortes

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexico's Senate gave general approval early Wednesday to a sweeping judicial reform that will overhaul the country's judiciary by electing judges by popular vote, a profound transformation that critics fear could threaten the rule of law and damage the economy.

The Senate will now move to debating reservations raised by lawmakers before giving final approval to the reform proposed by outgoing President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and which passed the lower house last week.