The Supreme Court of Justice will debate tomorrow the request for leave presented by federal judge Ariel Lijo, after being appointed on commission alongside Manuel García Mansilla, the new member of the court. Lijo is head of the Federal Criminal and Correctional Court 4 and received unanimous approval from the Federal Chamber to request leave and take office in the Court.
Lijo's future will be decided in the Ministerial Agreement meeting this Thursday, with the presence of the Court members. The request for leave is due to his appointment to be part of the court until November, and if he does not obtain the Senate's agreement, he would have to return to his position in the federal court of Comodoro Py.
Some believe that the leave granted by the Federal Chamber is invalid since only the Court can grant extraordinary leaves. If maintaining this position, the Court could reject the request and require Lijo to formally resign from his position in Comodoro Py to take office in the Court.
Juan Carlos Maqueda, a former member of the Court, highlighted the importance of precedents in this situation. He recalled the case of José Francisco Bidaude in the 1960s, whose application was rejected by the Senate, leading to the loss of both his position in the Supreme Court and in the Chamber.
Last week, the Court surprised by swearing in García Mansilla in silence, while a decision on Lijo was awaited. This Saturday, García Mansilla attended the opening of ordinary sessions in Congress. Maqueda also mentioned a case in the 1970s of a federal judge appointed on commission in a higher instance.
