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🇻🇪 Venezuela /Elections & Politics

Venezuela's National Assembly approves reform of TSJ Organic Law

From El Nacional · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Venezuela's National Assembly has unanimously approved a partial reform of the Organic Law of the Supreme Judicial Tribunal (TSJ) in its first discussion.
  • The reform increases the Judicial Nominations Committee's membership from 21 to 23, granting a majority to 12 civil society representatives over 11 parliamentary deputies.
  • This legislative step is the first under an agreement reached between the government and the 2015 elected National Assembly delegation to overhaul the judicial system.

Venezuela's National Assembly has taken a significant step towards judicial reform, unanimously approving a partial amendment to the Organic Law of the Supreme Judicial Tribunal (TSJ) during its first discussion. This move is a key component of an agreement aimed at renewing the country's highest court.

Unanimously approved the Draft Law for Partial Reform of the Organic Law of the Supreme Court of Justice, in its first discussion.

— Asamblea Nacional 🇻🇪Official announcement via Twitter regarding the approval of the reform.

The reform specifically targets the composition of the Judicial Nominations Committee, expanding its membership from 21 to 23 individuals. Crucially, it shifts the balance of power by allocating 12 seats to representatives from various civil society sectors, while the current National Assembly will appoint 11 deputies. This ensures a majority for civil society within the committee responsible for selecting future judges.

Under the new provisions, the 23 members of the committee will be designated by a two-thirds majority vote in the parliamentary plenary. The committee is established to function for a two-year term. Additionally, a Preliminary Commission, composed of the 11 parliamentary deputies, will be formed. Its responsibilities include inviting, receiving, and pre-selecting the civil society representatives who will later join the full committee.

will function for a period of two years

— Reform textSpecifying the operational term of the Judicial Nominations Committee.

The selection process for civil society representatives will be public and transparent, disseminated through all available channels, including the National Assembly's website and national newspapers. The reform also mandates that the selection process must ensure gender parity and the inclusion of groups that may face discrimination, marginalization, or vulnerability.

ensure gender parity and the participation of groups that may be discriminated against, marginalized or vulnerable

— Reform textOutlining the criteria for selecting civil society representatives.

This legislative action marks the initial phase of a broader agreement reached on August 12 between representatives of the government and the delegation from the National Assembly elected in 2015. The ultimate goal is a comprehensive renovation of the judicial system and the TSJ. A transitional provision requires the National Assembly to form the Preliminary Commission promptly after the reform is published in the Official Gazette, initiating the constitutional and legal process for appointing new Supreme Court magistrates and auxiliary bodies.

to initiate the constitutional and legal process for the appointment and designation of all Magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice, as well as its auxiliary bodies

— Reform textDescribing the ultimate purpose of the reform process.
About this summary

Originally published by El Nacional in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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