The Four Justices Respond

This afternoon the four justices that Congress voted to dismiss responded with a written statement, which they read.  The four justices, José Antonio Gutiérrez Navas, José Francisco Ruiz Gaekel, Gustavo Enrique Bustillo Palma and Rosalinda Cruz said Congress lacks the authority to remove them from office.  They called the process that Congress used "illegitimate, illegal, and unjust".  The justices said it was clear from the language of the 5 page report submitted by Rigoberto Chang as head of the commission to investigate the justices that the charges were based on their judicial rulings, not their administrative conduct, and that as such, this was a political maneuver.

They defended their rulings, the ones Congress took issue with, as made in accord with legal precepts, the Constitution, treaties and international agreements and the Constitutional Justice Law and that their rulings were made in a reasonable fashion with no pressure from anyone.

They noted that the legal argument that Congress pretended to use to dismiss them had no legal validity.  They point out that in 2011 Congress gave to the Chief Justice the power and right to do all administrative reviews of the court.  Oops.

They said:

Congress violated the principle of separation of powers contained in the Constitution of the Republic and has abruptly burst the jurisdictional function of the Judicial Branch and that has produced a change in the constitutional order because they do no have the authority to do so.

It does no good for our beloved country

They announced that the would resort to the courts for justice because their constitutional rights to due process, to be heard, and to a defense, among other guarantees nationally and internationally recognized, had been violated.