Legal challenges multiply to law reshaping Mexico ’s science funding system

Mexico’s controversial new science law, which seeks to reshape government research funding and governance, is facing a flurry of legal challenges. The nation’s Supreme Court last week agreed to hear a lawsuit brought by federal lawmakers who opposed the measure and allege its enactment violates Mexico’s constitution. The move came just days after a lower court ordered the government to temporarily stop implementing the law while it hears one of dozens of challenges brought by researchers. Government officials say they have yet to receive the order, issued by a district court judge in the northern state of Nuevo León, but plan to appeal any ruling that prevents implementation of the law. The intense legal maneuvering reflects the continuing furor surrounding the law, which was backed by President Andrés Manuel López Obrador and finalized by his allies in Mexico’s Senate in a chaotic, late-night voting session . Known as the General Law on Humanities, Science, Technology, and Innovation, it creates a new national agency to oversee research and seeks to steer funds to fields judged critical to Mexico’s future, including health, agriculture, and environmental protection. Many scientists opposed the sweeping measure, saying it gives the government too much control over research and will make it difficult, if not impossible, for researchers and students at private universities to receive funding. A human rights group, Connecting Paths ...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news