Abstract

FIX-FIERRO, Héctor  and  SUAREZ AVILA, Alberto Abad. Towards quality in public defense: The new institutional design of public defenders´offices in the mexican states. Cuest. Const. [online]. 2015, n.32, pp.157-200. ISSN 1405-9193.

The 2008 constitutional amendment on the new accusatorial criminal procedure establishes the obligation of the Mexican States and the Federal District to reform the old “public defenders’ offices” and to provide for public defense as a quality, universal and free service. The article analyzes the legislation of the 32 federated entities in terms of the aims of the constitutional amendment. Although all of them have recently passed or amended their respective legislation, they have not fully incorporated the guidelines and principles deriving from the new text of Article 17. This can obstruct the effectiveness of the new criminal justice system, which should be in full operation by June 2016.

Keywords : public defender; criminal reform; institutional design; federalism.

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