Civil organizations demand transparency and citizen participation in the election of Venezuela’s Supreme Court of Justice 

• The partial renewal of justices of the Supreme Court of Justice and other senior positions in the Judicial Branch is taking place in a context of serious questions about judicial independence in Venezuela. This process therefore requires clear rules, sufficient public information, and civil society participation. 

• The signing organizations warn that it is essential for this new process to follow a transparent, verifiable, and publicly accountable path, to avoid the abuses of discretion and citizen exclusion that have characterized other appointment processes for senior authorities in the country. 

Caracas and Washington D.C., June 12, 2026.- The undersigned organizations express our concern regarding the process of partial renewal of justices of the Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ), the recent reform of its Organic Law, and the selection of officials for the General Inspectorate of Courts and the Judicial School. We issue an urgent call to the National Assembly and the relevant bodies to conduct this procedure in accordance with the highest international standards on judicial independence, transparency, impartiality, and accountability. 

The composition of the country’s highest court has a direct impact on the rule of law, access to justice, and the protection of the rights of the population. Therefore, the appointment of its members cannot be driven by political loyalty but must be based on a rigorous evaluation of professional merit, legal track record, independence, and ethical integrity. 

To ensure a legitimate and democratic process, our organizations urge the authorities in charge to strictly comply with the following demands: 

• Timely publication of a clear timeline. It is essential that a detailed and definitive schedule be widely and accessibly disseminated, allowing all remaining stages of the process and their deadlines to be known. 

• Full disclosure of candidates and résumés. The list of nominees must be made public, along with their résumés and supporting documents necessary to assess their background and compliance with established requirements. Public scrutiny is only possible if information about candidates’ technical qualifications and integrity is fully accessible. 

• Establishment of an objective scoring system. Prior to beginning evaluations, the relevant Committee must design and publish an objective and detailed scoring rubric or qualification criteria (“baremo”). Selection must be based strictly on professional merit, legal track record, and ethical suitability, closing the door to discretionary decisions. 

• Challenge mechanisms and reasoned responses. The process must guarantee clear deadlines, channels, and bodies through which any person or civil organization may file duly substantiated objections or challenges regarding nominees who do not meet eligibility requirements. The Committee is likewise obligated to issue reasoned, public responses to each objection received. 

• Guarantee of meaningful spaces for citizen participation. The process must include effective mechanisms allowing civil society to monitor each stage, submit relevant information, learn about the evaluation criteria, and access sufficient information about decisions made. This is essential to oversee and verify that the selection is carried out transparently, impartially, and in accordance with international standards. 

The judicial independence of high courts is especially relevant for victims of human rights violations. An autonomous and independent TSJ is an indispensable condition for guaranteeing their access to truth, justice, and comprehensive reparation, as well as for preventing the recurrence of serious human rights violations. This is particularly important in a context where criminalization and arbitrary detentions on political grounds persist — repressive practices that have not been eradicated and against which the Judicial Branch plays a decisive role. 

In this context, the undersigned organizations call on Venezuela’s parliamentary authorities to align their actions with the Constitution and with international human rights standards governing the selection of justice operators. 

We likewise urge the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and other relevant international mechanisms to closely monitor this TSJ renewal process, given its definitive and direct impact on institutional independence, the fight against impunity, and the protection of fundamental rights in Venezuela. 

Acceso a la Justicia  

Aula Abierta  

AlertaVenezuela  

Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (CDH-UCAB)  

Centro de Justicia y Paz – Cepaz  

Centro por la Justicia y el Derecho Internacional  

CIVICUS: Alianza Global para la Participación Ciudadana  

CIVILIS  

COFAVIC  

Comisión Internacional de Juristas  

Espacio Público  

Fundación para el Debido Proceso (DPLF)  

Oficina en Washington para Asuntos Latinoamericanos (WOLA)  

Provea (Programa Venezolano de Educación Acción en Derechos Humanos)  

Robert and Ethel Kennedy Center for Human Rights