The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation (SCJN) has unanimously invalidated several provisions of the Treasury Law of Tulum related to the costs for searching and reproducing documents in the Civil Registry. This decision ensures that citizens of Tulum will no longer face excessive fees for these procedures, promoting greater accessibility and equity in public services.
On November 9, Minister Javier Laynez Potisek acknowledged the partial validity of article 85, section three, of the law, which sets a cost of 0.17 Unit of Measurement and Update (UMA), equivalent to 18 pesos, for issuing certified copies. He deemed this amount reasonable and proportional to the service provided.
However, the court ruled against article 74, section five, paragraph N, which imposed a charge of 18 UMAs (1,954.26 pesos) for document searches, considering it disproportionate and unjustified. Minister Luis María Aguilar Morales emphasized that the charges were excessive and did not reflect the actual costs of the service. He noted that document searches require significantly fewer resources compared to issuing certified copies, making such a high fee unjustifiable.
Impact of the Decision
The SCJN declared the invalidity of articles 74, section five, paragraph N; 85, section three; and 138 of the Treasury Law of Tulum, issued by decree number 020 and published on December 19, 2022. This decision will take effect after notification to the Congress of the State of Quintana Roo and will be published in the Official Gazette of the Federation and the Official Newspaper of the State.
With this resolution, Tulum residents will benefit from more reasonable costs for Civil Registry procedures, ensuring fairer access to public services.
Source: Diario Cambio 22
