The Principle of Constitutional Supremacy as a basis for the admissibility of Constitutional Guarantees Actions: The end of the 'Principle' of Preference for the Contentious Administrative Jurisdiction El Principio de Supremacía Constitucional como base para la admisión de los Amparos de Garantías Constitucionales: El final del ‘Principio’ de Preferencia de la Jurisdicción Contencioso Administrativa

Abstract

The Constitutional Guarantees Action has the purpose of stopping all conduct by public authorities that affects or undermines constitutionally recognized rights and guarantees. Nonetheless, decades ago, the Supreme Court of Justice – inconsistently – established an admissibility criterion for this type of action known as the ‘Principle of Preference for the Contentious-Administrative Jurisdiction.’ This article addresses the weaknesses of this criterion and the reasons why it needs to be abandoned by the Supreme Court, aiming to ensure that access to justice and a pro persona interpretation of the Constitution prevail. Similarly, this article addresses the complex issue of the parallel activation of the constitutional and contentious-administrative jurisdictions, and how this is workable within the current normative system.