The Magistrate Leyla Lemus He assumed this Monday, April 14, 2025 The Presidency of the Constitutional Court (CC), becoming the last president of the eighth magistracy, which will culminate her period in April 2026.
In his investiture speech, Lemus stressed that the court will not yield before external pressures of any kindand reiterated the importance of unrestricted respect for constitutional order and separation of powers.
“We live in times when pressures on democratic institutions intensify (…) This Court, in this presidency, will not yield to pressures that seek to twist the meaning of our Constitution”He said.
With a firm tone, Lemus remarked that the Judicial independence is not negotiable and warned that any attempt to submit to the Courts to the interests of the Magna Carta It constitutes a betrayal of citizens.
“A justice that bends against interests outside the Constitution betrays its reason and abandons citizens, which is the call to protect”he stressed.
The president of the CC said that her mandate coincides with a historical moment for the country: the 200 years of the first Constitution of Guatemalapromulgated in 1825 as part of the Central American Federation.
In Lemus’s opinion, this bicentennial offers an opportunity to renew the commitment to the constitutional legacy and strengthen democratic culture.
“I am convinced that the best way to honor our constitutional legacy is to ensure that each Guatemalan citizen understands, value and defend the principles that have erected us as a society since those first steps already two centuries ago,” he said.
As part of the commemoration, he announced that the Constitutional Justice Institute It will focus on Disclosure programs to promote knowledge of fundamental rights and constitutional protection mechanisms among citizens.
Separation of powers
Lemus warned that one of the most serious current risks for democracy is concentration of powerand insisted that the Court will act as a barrier in front of any attempt to weaken institutional balance.
“When a state power intends to impose itself on others or absorb their functions, democracy suffers deep injuries that can be irreparable,” he warned.
Among the priorities of his management, Lemus announced a Administrative Modernization Plan To expedite processes, digitize services and improve access to public information.
“The justice that it takes becomes injustice (…) Guatemala deserves and needs transparent institutions”he said.
At the close of his speech, Lemus made a firm defense of the Rule of law and citizen suffrageensuring that the Court will not allow legal interpretations that weaken democratic principles or justify decisions outside the constitutional framework.
“This Court will not be silent in the face of violations of the constitutional order, nor will it be complicit in interpretations that seek to empty the rights and guarantees of our Constitution.”
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