Female judicial leadership and constitutional heroism in times of democratic backsliding

Mariana Velasco-Rivera

Chapter 13 in Elgar Companion to Female Chief Justices in Comparative Perspective, 2026, pp 272-290 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: This chapter identifies and discusses some of the challenges that Chief Justice Norma Piña faced as the first woman to perform that role in Mexico. CJ Norma Piña chose a decisively collegial and collaborative approach to her role. However, CJ Piña faced what could be understood as an impossible task: repair the damage her predecessor inflicted on the independence and legitimacy of the Court while trying to navigate an unprecedented politically hostile environment in a context of democratic backsliding where an existential threat to the judiciary was as real as ever. The challenges CJ Piña faced were further complicated by an additional obstacle that none of her male predecessors ever faced: sexism.

Keywords: Norma Piña; Judicial overhaul; Feminist judicial leadership; Democratic backsliding; Judicial independence; Collegiality (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035308637
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