The Bench Book for Criminal Hearings and Trials was launched by the Mexican federal judiciary, the state judiciaries of Mexico City and Puebla, and the US Department of Justice’s Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), with the goal of increasing judicial economy, reducing caseloads, and standardizing judicial practices across Mexico.
This resource will serve as an effective and practical tool for justice sector players across the country, including criminal judges, prosecutors, and defense counsel, thanks to support from the Department of State’s Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs (INL).
This is the first judicial bench book made for Mexico’s new accusatory criminal justice system, which was fully put into place in 2016. They will build up the system’s national capacity and encourage the standardization of best practices in a way that will last.
With the Bench Book’s standardized procedures for criminal hearings, criminal justice actors will be able to quickly set up all the necessary parts of their own hearings. This will lead to stronger convictions, fewer successful appeals, and less criminal freedom.
Over the past three years, OPDAT, 25 Mexican judges, and three Colombian judges with bench book experience have worked hard to write standards for a Mexican Bench Book.
Then, many institutions, such as the federal Attorney General’s Office and the Public Defender’s Office, worked together to update the Bench Book. This made sure that the final product was a true team effort by many Mexican institutions.
At the launch, people from the state and federal courts, state attorney general’s offices, and other places that helped make and change the guide were there.
The opening remarks were given by U.S. Ambassador Ken Salazar, who said, “As a former state attorney general, I know how important bench books can be. And what a great way for the U.S. government and all kinds of Mexican officials to work together! This is what we mean when we talk about Seguridad Compartida in action.”
Alfredo Gutierrez Ortiz Mena, a member of the Mexican Supreme Court of Justice, also attended the ceremony. He said, “These guidelines not only define the nature and timing of roles, but also support those roles in jurisprudence, allowing us to plan.”
After the bench books are distributed, OPDAT and the federal judiciary will set up a monitoring and evaluation plan to see how well the book works to shorten the average length of hearings and cut down on delays and appeals that aren’t necessary.