# Argentine judicial appointment developments

> Developing situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/argentine-judicial-appointment-developments
> Updated: 2026-11-01T22:51:55.000Z. Sources: 8. Developments: 2.

In Buenos Aires, Governor Axel Kicillof has committed to negotiating the filling of four vacant seats on the provincial Supreme Court of Justice, describing the integration of the court as a “policy of state.” This follows previous warnings regarding a vacancy crisis that left only three of the seven mandated positions occupied. Additionally, the Executive branch aims to send over 250 judicial appointments to the Senate for approval before the end of November.

At the national level, Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques has proposed the appointment of federal judge Daniel Rafecas to the National Chamber of Cassation in Criminal and Correctional Matters. If approved, this would create a new vacancy in the Comodoro Py complex, potentially leaving five federal courts without permanent heads and impacting investigations into the AMIA bombing and former President Alberto Fernández.

Amid these shifts, Supreme Court Justice Carlos Rosenkrantz is advocating for reform of the judge selection process. Alongside Ricardo Lorenzetti, Rosenkrantz argues that the current system, which relies on personal interviews by the Council of the Magistracy, allows for the “distortion of merit-based rankings.” They propose a system prioritizing technical evaluations over discretionary interviews. This proposal is currently under evaluation by the Council of the Magistracy, which is scheduled for a change in membership on November 18.

Regional judicial developments include new competitions to fill criminal court positions in Mendoza and a legislative project in Río Negro seeking to establish ten-year term limits for judges and prosecutors to prevent indefinite tenure. Furthermore, the Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) has raised concerns regarding judicial integrity, denouncing five federal judges for allegedly holding positions in the disciplinary and ethics tribunals of the Argentine Football Association (AFA).

## Timeline

### 2026-11-01: Argentina Justice Minister proposes judge promotion

Justice Minister Juan Bautista Mahiques has proposed promoting Judge Daniel Rafecas to the National Chamber of Cassation, a move that could trigger judicial reorganizations in Argentina's Comodoro Py courts.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/argentina-justice-minister-proposes-judge-promotion

### 2026-11-01: Buenos Aires Governor to propose new judicial appointments

Governor Axel Kicillof will submit new judicial appointment proposals to the Buenos Aires Senate to address critical vacancies in the provincial Supreme Court.

4 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/buenos-aires-governor-to-propose-new-judicial-appointments

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Cite as: Argentine judicial appointment developments. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/argentine-judicial-appointment-developments