Judge Laura De Marinis faces backlash over juvenile law ruling

Judge Laura De Marinis, head of the Juvenile, Contraventional, and Misdemeanor Court No. 3 in Buenos Aires, is facing political and legal backlash following a ruling regarding the new Juvenile Criminal Regime (Law 27.801).

In a specific case involving a 14-year-old, De Marinis declared the application of the lower age of criminal responsibility unconstitutional, citing it as regressive regarding international human rights treaties and the national constitution. This decision was supported by the Public Defense and the Tutelary Advisory.

In response, officials from the Executive Branch have promoted requests for impeachment, and the organization Usina de Justicia has filed criminal charges for prevarication. Various human rights groups, including the Asamblea Permanente por los Derechos Humanos (APDH) and the Red Argentina de Estudios sobre Violencias, Estado y Seguridad (RAVES), have expressed support for the judge, arguing that the attacks represent an attempt to intimidate the judiciary and undermine the separation of powers.