Mexican protesters block Congress over judicial overhaul

Law students in Mexico City block a street to protest against constitutional reform proposals that would make judges stand for election (Felix Marquez/AP)

After protesters blocked the entrance to Mexico’s Congress on Tuesday in an attempt to stop a controversial judicial overhaul, lawmakers took the first steps to jam through the proposal at a nearby gymnasium.

The plan would make judges stand for election, something critics say would deal a severe blow to the independence of the judiciary and the system of checks and balances.