The Colombian government introduced a new draft of the controversial judicial reform, leaving the parapolitics trial with the Supreme Court
and excluding all pending criminal trials against congressmen.
The new draft still has the possibility for convicted congressmen to appeal, but both instances will be handled by the Supreme Court. The government initially wanted suspected politicians to be tried before a lower court, something that caused heavy criticism by the opposition and human rights groups that say the government is trying to protect corrupt politicians.
The government also explicitly added the reform will only apply to new cases against congressmen. All current trials will be continued under the current law.
The government presented the new draft after and emergency meeting between Interior and Justice Minister Fabio Valencia Cossio and a group of coalition senators.
The judicial reform is to tackle the problem of paramilitary or criminal influence in Colombian congress. Over 60 lawmakers, mostly from the governing coalition, are currently under investigation for their ties to far right paramilitary groups.
