Government will present a project to reform and reduce Comodoro Py

The Argentine government has announced plans to introduce a legislative proposal aimed at restructuring and reducing the scope of Comodoro Py, the national court system responsible for investigating corruption, money laundering, and drug trafficking. The initiative, spearheaded by Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques, seeks to streamline operations within the federal judiciary, particularly focusing on the Cámara Federal de Casación Penal, which serves as the highest criminal tribunal before the Supreme Court of Justice. According to reports, the project will require parliamentary approval through Congress and includes measures such as reducing the number of judges in the Cámara de Casación from thirteen to nine, thereby avoiding future competitive recruitment processes to fill vacant positions. The proposed changes also involve administrative reallocations and staff transfers within the judicial branch. A key aspect of the reform is its alignment with the implementation of an accusatory system set to take effect in April 2027. Under this new framework, the Ministry of Public Prosecution will play a more prominent role, while magistrates will shift their responsibilities toward acting as guarantors of legal procedures rather than conducting investigations. This transition would see prosecutors assume investigative duties from the outset, leading cases through to trial stages, with magistrates overseeing procedural guarantees, trials, or reviews. Currently, the Cámara Federal de Casación Penal consists of four chambers plus a presidency, although three of these positions remain unfilled. The reform aims to address long-standing vacancies that have persisted for over five years. Additionally, the ministry is evaluating reductions in the number of federal courts located on the third and fourth floors of the tribunals, currently numbering twelve, potentially decreasing them to ten or eight. These courts have been affected by departures including Sergio Torres, Claudio Bonadio, Rodolfo Canicoba Corral, and the resignation of Luis Rodríguez. The restructuring also involves redefining the roles of different judicial tiers within Comodoro Py. Presently, there are three types of judges, those handling preliminary investigations, those serving on the Federal Criminal Court, and those in the Chamber, each with distinct functions. The reform proposes equalizing salaries among these categories, addressing disparities where current salary levels differ significantly. Furthermore, the government has noted that the building housing judicial officials is disproportionately large compared to the headquarters of interior jurisdictions. A major challenge facing the initiative is securing sufficient support in Congress, as reliance solely on executive decree could lead to legal challenges or delays. The Senate has already approved sixty-seven judicial packages, and the government has added two crucial judges to Comodoro Py. The reforms are part of broader efforts to modernize the justice system, aligning it with practices observed in seventeen other jurisdictions nationwide. The move has drawn mixed reactions, with some viewing it as necessary for efficiency and others expressing concerns over potential impacts on judicial independence and oversight mechanisms.