This landmark studyexamines the challenges Mexico faces in reforming the administration of its justice system—a critical undertaking for the consolidation of democracy, the well-being of Mexican citizens, and U.S.-Mexican relations. The result of over four years of research from the Project on Reforming the Administration of Justice in Mexico, this bi-national collaborative initiative brought together U.S. and Mexican scholars, policy makers, law enforcement officials, lawyers, activists, and other experts to analyze diverse topics in the administration of justice. The outcome of the study presents for the first time an up-to-date analysis of the functioning and imperfections of the Mexican justice system. “This book will interest academics and policy makers concerned with the sorry state of the administration of justice in Latin America at large, and Mexico more specifically. The chapters leave almost no controversial issues surrounding the justice system untouched. From diverse legal, criminal, social, and political perspectives the justice system is held under scrutiny and found to be wanting. The end result is a number of well-thought-out suggested solutions to a long-standing problem.” —Nibaldo H. Galleguillos, McMaster University “[This] is an outstanding contribution theoretically and substantively on understanding an essential but little explored condition in Mexico, having implications for U.S. security, and deserving a wide readership on both sides of the border.” —Roderic Ai Camp, McKenna Professor of the Pacific Rim, Claremont McKenna College