Javier Milei appoints dozens of judges to Argentina’s federal courts

The Milei administration signed decrees designating a large batch of new magistrates for the Argentine federal judiciary. On 25 June the government appointed 35 judges, 4 conjueces and 10 vocales, mostly for courts in the Capital Federal and the Province of Buenos Aires. A later decree added 46 additional judges, four conjueces, four official defenders and a fiscal, expanding the total to 81 new appointees in recent months. The executive then approved 47 designations—including judges, prosecutors and defenders—while refusing to sign the appointment of María Verónica Michelli, a candidate linked by family to journalist Hugo Alconada Mon. The moves aim to address chronic vacancies that have left roughly one‑third of federal judgeships empty, a situation the government says hampers the administration of justice.

The appointments were signed by President Javier Milei and Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques and were published in the Boletín Oficial. Candidates must still be sworn in before assuming duties. The exclusion of Michelli, despite Senate approval, underscores the political sensitivity surrounding judicial selections under the new administration.