Argentina's Judicial Outreach Engages Thousands of Students

The "Los Jueces de los Hechos" program in San Rafael, Mendoza, has involved more than 4,000 students, teachers and community members since its launch. Participants visited courts, attended real hearings and took part in mock jury trials. The initiative, promoted by Judge María Eugenia Laigle and Supreme Court delegate Darío Bermejo, is now in its fourth edition and has prompted a legislative proposal in the Mendoza Chamber of Deputies to declare the project of legislative interest.

In Córdoba, the "Referentes Judiciales Comunitarios" program, created by a 2021 judicial agreement and active since 2022, counts over 1,500 volunteers operating across the province’s 24 judicial districts. Volunteers, including retired judges, university staff and students, aim to improve public perception of the justice system, which many residents describe as slow and ineffective. Recent trust surveys show confidence in the judiciary at historic lows.