Uruguayan judges meet with government; claims of unawareness and commitment to solutions emerge

Judges in Uruguay have presented their budget demands to the deputy secretary of the Presidency, Jorge Díaz, who acknowledged that the government was not previously aware of their specific claims. The meeting, described as "very warm" by the president of the Association of Magistrates of Uruguay (AMU), María Helena Mainard, aimed to address budgetary issues related to the government's Rendición de Cuentas (accountability report).

Mainard and AMU vice president Dolores Sánchez met with Díaz at the Executive Tower. Mainard indicated that the matters concerning the Rendición de Cuentas are typically processed through the Ministry of Economy and Finance, which may explain why the Presidency was not fully briefed on the judiciary's budget requests. "Apparently, there was no proposal from the Ministry of Economy and Finance to the Presidency on the issue of the Judiciary's budget," she noted.

Sánchez positively assessed the meeting, emphasizing Díaz's receptiveness and commitment to collaborating on solutions. "I felt there was receptiveness from the deputy secretary and, above all, a commitment to work together to resolve the budgetary proposals we made," she stated. Díaz reportedly assured them that the government was unaware of the AMU's ongoing claims.

The AMU outlined three main points in their presentation: a salary adjustment for magistrates, which they claim has been pending since the 2010 Budget Law; the full implementation of Law 19.580 on Gender-Based Violence, which includes the creation of specialized courts but lacks nationwide coverage; and an update to the budget for academic training for magistrates, last adjusted in December 2012. The judges also proposed modifications to an article in the current budget bill that would not incur additional state costs, which Díaz reportedly received well.