Law of Mexico

Module 4

Courts and the legal professions: the federal judiciary, the Supreme Court, the judicial reform, state and specialised courts, lawyers, notaries and public brokers

Mexico’s judicial power is divided between federal courts and state courts. At the top of the federal system is the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, below it the collegiate circuit courts, the appeal circuit courts and the district courts, with specialised tribunals for elections, administrative justice, labour and agrarian matters. A judicial reform of 2024 changed the system: federal judges are now chosen by popular vote, the Supreme Court has nine members and a Judicial Discipline Tribunal and a Judicial Administration Body replaced the former Judicial Council. The legal professions include lawyers with a professional licence, notaries who give public faith and public brokers. A foreign lawyer cannot practise Mexican law without the Mexican qualifications.

General education on the law of Mexico, using invented people and businesses. It states laws and procedures in simplified form and is not legal advice. The law and its practice change, and every case turns on its facts, the authority and the state concerned. It does not offer legal representation or a legal opinion on any case. Consult a Mexican lawyer for any real matter.

This course was written on 6 November 2026. To the best of our knowledge, it describes the law of Mexico as it stood on that date. Laws change, and we may have missed or misunderstood something. If you notice a change, or have other information, please do not hesitate to contact us: we will review it and update the course. We do not claim to be the final source of the law.