The alarming statistics from his court fueled the accusations and suspicions about Ariel Lijo

On April 15, it will be one year since the president announced his two candidates to join the Supreme Court of Justice: Judge Ariel Lijo and academic Manuel García-Mansilla. After the failure last week to process the magistrate's nomination, which had been approved by the Agreements Commission, this Tuesday the Government signed the decrees appointing both in the Commission . In this scenario, there are figures that fuel the controversies regarding the federal judge.

As reported by Clarín , the circumstances surrounding the Comodoro Py magistrate have opened a discussion in the Court regarding whether it is enough for him to resign from his post in order to take office in the highest court, while awaiting the agreement on his decree. On the fourth floor of the courthouse, some maintain that he should resign in order to be sworn in.

But there is another front of debate, although it had no impact on the decision of the Casa Rosada: the statistics of the 4th federal court, of which Ariel Lijo is the judge.

The Civil Association for Equality and Justice (ACIJ) conducted a survey of the number of cases processed in the court located on the third floor of Comodoro Py.

According to data from the Judicial Information Center (CIJ) updated to April 2024, the magistrate's office has been investigating 13 cases for more than a decade.

Another reduction is made to this figure: for example, the statistics indicate that three of these files have been in existence for 17, 18 and 26 years respectively.

For example, case 2645/1998 involves former President Carlos Menem for alleged fraud against the State . He entered the court on March 17, 1998.

Another specific case is the case against trade unionist Miguel Ángel Paniagua, opened in the Lijo court in 2009 for the alleged crime of fraud. This is case 14835/2009.

According to the latest audit carried out by the Council of the Judiciary, the 4th federal court “was one of those that brought the fewest cases to oral trial (15.7% of the total).”

However, among the cases that reached trial is the investigation into the former Ciccone printing company that led to the first conviction for corruption against Amado Boudou . He was investigated when he was still the vice president of the country.

What ACIJ pointed out when analyzing the statistics is that the deadlines for the files " do not inspire confidence in citizens , which is essential for the credibility and legitimacy of the justice system."

At this point, it was recalled that Lijo also accumulated a large number of complaints in the Council of the Judiciary, the body responsible for appointing judges as well as investigating them when the corresponding complaints are filed.

"He is the subject of multiple complaints for poor performance and alleged crimes in the exercise of his duties ," the Civil Association said.

Official records show that from 2004 to the present, Judge Ariel Lijo has been reported 34 times to the Council of the Judiciary, making him the third judge in Comodoro Py with the highest number of accusations before said body.

It was explained that he was never sanctioned or found responsible for the accusations made in the various complaints, “but the accusations made were not concluded through public and transparent procedures that would allow us to conclude that they were unfounded,” ACIJ said.

In fact, several of the cases were closed without even having ordered any evidentiary measures.

Federal judge Ariel Lijo has another precedent: he will become the first member of Comodoro Py to reach the Supreme Court of Justice.