Title: Year Ends with Record High Judicial Vacancies as Milei Government Fails to Appoint Judges
The year has ended on a concerning note for Argentina‘s judicial system, with the government of Javier Milei leaving an unprecedented number of judicial vacancies unfilled. According to data, not a single national or federal judge was appointed by the executive branch in 2024, marking a worrying milestone.
This is not an isolated issue. The problem has been compounded by a system that leaves the majority of nominations in the hands of the Council of Magistracy, where Milei’s Libertarian Party lacks sufficient support in the Senate to approve appointments. Today, over 30% of the 1002 judicial positions are vacant, with 305 vacancies across the nation and federal system.
This situation is not new, but the government has done little to address it. Despite sending pliegos for the Supreme Court nominations of Manual García-Mansilla and Ariel Lijo, Milei’s administration has not filled over 300 other vacancies, a noticeable decision given that the Council of Magistracy has sent more than double the average annual number of ternas since 2018.
Mariano Cuneo Libarona, the Minister of Justice, entered office promising to address this issue but promptly withdrew the pliegos sent by the previous administration, leaving more than 60 candidates waiting for approval. The government promised replacements, but none have materialized.
The consequences of these vacancies extend beyond judicial delays. They also complicate judicial logistics, especially in provincial courts. Many vacancies result in judges covering multiple jurisdictions, often delegating tasks to secretaries. This situation has overtaken the capabilities of the judicial system.
Jorge Basso, president of the Association of Magistrates, underscores the severity of the issue. He lamented the chronic nature of the problem and its detrimental impact on the justice system’s overall efficiency.
In response to the escalating issue, the government attempted to send 149 pliegos in November, aiming to fill more than half of the vacancies. However, this initiative seems to have stalled, and no further action has been reported since then.
In the wake of this inaction, judges from the Federal Criminal Court No. 1 in San Juan, the oral court in Posadas, Misiones, and the Federal Criminal Court No. 2 in Santa Fe remain vacant. The government’s inability to address these critical vacancies could significantly hamper the smooth functioning of the justice system in 2025 and beyond.
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