Judicial independence in Latin America faces significant challenges that threaten the rule of law and the separation of powers within democratic systems, as well as access to justice for millions of people. Among these challenges are undue political and economic interference, lack of transparency in the selection and appointment processes of high-level judicial authorities, judicial corruption, and attacks on judges and prosecutors handling high-profile public interest cases. All of these undermine public trust in justice and pave the way for control or even capture of the judiciary.

Over the past decades, countries in the region have implemented judicial reforms aimed at improving efficiency, expanding access to justice, strengthening judicial independence, and combating corruption. However, in some cases, political projects with authoritarian traits have driven anti-democratic reforms that seek to subject the judiciary to undue control or weaken its ability to check abuses by political powers.

At DPLF, we work to strengthen the independence of judicial and prosecutorial institutions and to promote transparency and accountability mechanisms for their officials within a democratic framework. We encourage the active participation of civil society in key justice processes and advocate for the incorporation of a gender and human rights perspective in analyzing the challenges faced by justice systems.

In addition, we continuously monitor judicial reform processes in Latin America to identify and alert on potential risks to judicial independence. We advocate for a deep, open, and participatory debate that includes all relevant actors, especially civil society and justice operators. At DPLF, we also promote comprehensive and cross-sectoral analysis of these reforms to foster a fair and transparent justice system.