A majority of judges from Mexico’s Supreme Court have submitted their resignations and opted not to run for election under controversial judicial reforms, the court announced on Wednesday.

This decision comes amid growing opposition protests and diplomatic tensions, as Mexico prepares to become the first country in the world to allow voters to choose all judges at every level, starting next year.

Eight of the 11 Supreme Court justices, including President Norma Pina, will not seek election in June 2025. Most resignations will take effect next August, according to a statement from the court. This announcement coincides with the court’s plans to evaluate a proposal to invalidate the election of judges and magistrates.

President Claudia Sheinbaum stated that the court does not have the authority to overturn a constitutional reform approved by Congress. “Eight individuals intend to change a reform affecting the people of Mexico… Do they realize the magnitude of this?” she said at a news conference on Wednesday.

Sheinbaum suggested that the judges’ motives for resigning may be linked to protecting their retirement benefits. “If they resign now, they will retain all their retirement benefits,” she explained. “If they do not resign now, they will lose those benefits… which are substantial.”

Former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, who enacted the reforms in September before leaving office, defended the changes as necessary to address a “rotten” judiciary that serves the interests of the political and economic elite.

Critics have expressed concerns that elected judges could be influenced by politics and susceptible to pressure from powerful drug cartels that frequently use bribery and intimidation to manipulate officials.

During his six years in office, Lopez Obrador often criticized the Supreme Court for blocking some of his policies in areas like energy and security.

Sheinbaum, a close ally of Lopez Obrador and Mexico’s first female president since October 1, has been a strong supporter of the judicial reforms.

These changes have led to diplomatic tensions with key economic partners, the United States and Canada, disrupted financial markets, and sparked a wave of protests from judicial workers and other opponents.

Washington has cautioned that the reforms could jeopardize a relationship reliant on investor confidence in Mexico’s legal framework