The magistrates of the new Constitutional Court (CC) took office early this Tuesday, April 14, in the midst of legal actions against magistrate Astrid Lemus.
The CC issued a statement in which it reported on the takeover of the titular magistrates: Gladys Annabella Morfin Mansilla, Astrid Jeannette Lemus Rodríguez, Roberto Molina Barreto, Dina Josefina Ochoa Escribá and Julia Marisol Rivera Aguilar.
The substitute magistrates also took office: María Magdalena Jocholá Tujal, Luis Fernando Bermejo Quiñónez, Luis Alfonso Rosales Marroquín, Claudia Elizabeth Paniagua Pérez and José Luis Aguirre Pumay.
The first challenge for Anabella Morfín, president of the new CC, is to respond to a request from three titular magistrates to hear a protection related to the candidate for attorney general of the Public Ministry (MP).
The action seeks to define whether or not the judges are suitable to be candidates to direct the investigative entity.
Three of the five new magistrates delivered a note to Anabella Morfín in which they request to know the protection. The note was signed by Dina Ochoa, Roberto Molina Barreto and Julia Rivera.
The candidate planned the qualification of the 48 files for this week, so that on April 17 the list of six candidates for attorney general will be integrated.
To read more: Attempt to exclude judges marks evaluation of candidates for attorney general
This list will be delivered to President Bernardo Arévalo so that he can name the new head of the MP for the period 2026-2030.
The Nomination Commission promotes criteria that would exclude career judges, while a disagreement arises over votes that some warn would be illegal.
Anabella Morfín’s first challenge as president of the new @CC_Guatemala is to respond to a request from 3 titular magistrates who ask to know about a protection related to the candidate for Attorney General. The action seeks to define whether the judges are suitable or not to be candidates pic.twitter.com/hoJq7I5WVJ
—Douglas Cuevas (@dcuevas_pl) April 14, 2026
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