Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques announced the start of the process to fill 337 vacancies in the federal judicial system, including 200 judges, 72 defenders, and 65 prosecutors. The measure addresses a 35% to 40% deficit in judicial positions. The procedure under Decree 588/2003 has been activated, and backgrounds of 200 candidates will be audited before sending nominations to the Senate.
Argentina's federal judicial system faces a significant personnel deficit, with 35% to 40% of positions vacant, leading to delays in complex cases involving criminal matters, corruption, and drug trafficking. In federal and national courts, 36.3% of posts remain without a titleholder, while in the Public Prosecutor's Office, 174 out of 367 positions are vacant, according to official data.
Juan Bautista Mahiques, who recently assumed as Justice Minister replacing Mariano Cúneo Libarona, activated the procedure under Decree 588/2003 to advance the filling of 337 vacancies: 200 judges, 72 public defenders, and 65 prosecutors. The plan includes reviewing 80 vacancies whose contests have concluded in the National Magistracy Council, evaluating 53 nominations from 20 previous contests not addressed in the Senate, and updating criminal records of applicants via the National Recidivism Registry.
Additionally, a patrimonial and fiscal audit will be conducted on the candidates to verify their financial situation, including tax and social security obligations with AFIP. These checks are mandatory before President Javier Milei decides on the nominations to send to the Senate.
Mahiques stated: “Without legal security there is no investment and without stable rules there is no development.” The goal is to reactivate stalled contests and modernize the judicial system, reducing reliance on temporary subrogations that overload the workload.
