Silvia Valdés

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Silvia Valdés
Silvia Valdes in 2022
Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala
In office
October 13, 2019 – November 17, 2023
Appointed bySupreme Court of Justice
Preceded byNéster Vasquez
Succeeded byÓscar Cruz Oliva
In office
26 September 2016 – 9 February 2017
Appointed bySupreme Court of Justice
Preceded byRafael Rojas
Succeeded byNery Medina
Judge of the Supreme Court of Justice of Guatemala
In office
November 24, 2014 – November 17, 2023
Nominated byCongress of Guatemala
Judge of the Appeals Second Chamber of the Civil and Comercial Branch
In office
October 13, 2009 – November 24, 2014
Appointed byCongress of Guatemala
Personal details
Born
Silvia Patricia Valdes Quezada

(1956-06-03) June 3, 1956 (age 67)
Guatemala City, Guatemala.
EducationMariano Galvez University (Lawyer)
Javeriana University (Corporate law)

Silvia Patricia Valdés Quezada (born 1953) is a lawyer who served as the third female president of the Supreme Court of Justice and the judicial branch of Guatemala, [1][2][3] from 2019 until 2023.

Early life and education[edit]

Silvia Valdés is daughter of Héctor Augusto Valdés Díaz and Dora Estela Quezada.[4] She has a Bachelor's degree in Social and Juridical Sciences with an Attorney and Notary degree, and two doctorates in law and justice administration from the Mariano Gálvez university. She also has Master degrees in societary and procedural law from several universities.[5]

Career[edit]

She started her career as a bailiff in 1976 and later became judge. She was head of a civil court in 2000 for 9 years and later president of a civil appeals court. She was reportedly backed by the private sector and official apparatus at the time of president of the republic Otto Pérez[6] when she was first elected magistrate of the Supreme Court (CSJ) by the Guatemalan Congress for the period 2014–2019.[1] In 2015 there was controversy after a judge assigned for her use an impounded luxury car that was reported stolen, something that was opposed by the prosecutor's office.[6]

Voided appointment, resignation, and extended presidency[edit]

Silvia Valdés was elected president of the Supreme Court of Justice on 26 September 2016,[7] after Rafael Rojas ended his term.[8] But in January 2017, the Constitutional Court of Guatemala voided her appointment of a year term because of improper procedure in the process. But given that Valdés was the first-magistrate, she was entitled to be interim president.[9] Nery Medina was elected in her place for the top office on 9 February 2017.[10]

On 13 June 2019—after her official term as magistrate expired—she tendered her resignation to Congress, which didn't accept it.[11] On 13 October 2019, she was again appointed president of the Supreme Court by her peers at the same.[12] By October 2022, the legislative body had not elected for three years magistrates for the new term, due to a series of irregularities and legal actions. Valdés and her peers continued in their positions in the Court, required by law.[13] Although the Guatemalan Constitution provides for only a single 5-year period for the magistrates,[14] the Constitutional Court had ruled that per Article 71 of the Law of the Judicial Organism (Spanish: Ley del Organismo Judicial), the bench needed to continue if no successors had yet been appointed.[12]

In April 2022, the Constitutional Court stopped the possibility of investigating Valdés while in office for a corruption case. She was linked by a prosecutor's office (FECI) to a network who sought to peddle influence in the election of judicial officials.[15][16]

The Department of State compiled a document known as the Engel List to point out controversial personalities in Guatemala. Valdés criticized it, stating that it violated the Guatemalan Constitution and that people are presumed innocent until found guilty in a court of law. She also said that it was an intrusion in Guatemalan internal affairs.[17]

See also[edit]

  • Thelma Aldana - Second female president of the Supreme Court of Guatemala

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Magistrada Silvia Valdés es la tercera mujer que presidirá la Corte Suprema de Justicia" [Magistrate Silvia Valdés is the third woman who will preside the Supreme Court of Justice]. PubliNews. 26 Sep 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  2. ^ Canel, Oscar (13 June 2022). "Con Valdés presidiendo, juramentan a nuevo Consejo de la Carrera Judicial" [With Valdés presiding, the new Judicial Career Council is sworn]. La Hora. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  3. ^ Mutz, Viviana (26 July 2022). "Presidenta de la CSJ, Patricia Valdés, se pronuncia por la Lista Engel" [CSJ President, Patricia Valdés, makes a statement about the Engel List]. República. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  4. ^ Valdés, Silvia (Oct 1981). "Crímenes, faltas y ofensas en contra de la salud" [Crimes, misdemeanors and infractions against health]. Google Cache. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 Apr 2023. Retrieved 17 Apr 2023.
  5. ^ "Silvia Patricia Valdés Quezada, president of the Judicial Organism and the Supreme Court of Justice" (PDF). Judicial Organism of Guatemala. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  6. ^ a b "Silvia Patricia Valdés presidirá la CSJ" [Silvia Valdés will preside the CSJ]. Prensa Libre. 26 Sep 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  7. ^ Véliz, Rodrigo (26 Sep 2016). "¿Por qué Silvia Valdés es la nueva Presidenta de la Corte?" [Why is Silvia Valdés the new president of the Court?]. Centro de Medios Independientes [Center of Independent Media]. Archived from the original on 28 September 2016. Retrieved 1 Aug 2022.
  8. ^ "Presidente de la CSJ asegura que nunca existieron presiones" [President of the CSJ affirms there were never pressures]. Prensa Libre. Guatemala. 11 Oct 2016. Retrieved 16 Apr 2023.
  9. ^ "Elección de Silvia Valdés en CSJ queda anulada" [Silvia Valdés election in the CSJ is voided]. Prensa Libre. 30 Jan 2017. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  10. ^ "Nery Medina es el nuevo presidente de la CSJ" [Nery Medina is the new president of the CSJ]. Prensa Libre. 9 Feb 2017. Retrieved 1 Aug 2022.
  11. ^ De León, Evelyn (13 Oct 2020). "Silvia Patricia Valdés seguirá al frente de la CSJ" [Silvia Patricia Valdés will continue heading the CSJ]. Soy502. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  12. ^ a b "Magistrada Silvia Valdés asume como presidenta de la CSJ" [Magistrate Silvia Valdés assumes presidency of the CSJ]. La Hora. Guatemala. 13 Oct 2019. Retrieved 16 Apr 2023.
  13. ^ "Guatemala cumple dos años sin renovar sus cortes por una crisis institucional" [Guatemala reaches two years without renovating its courts due to an institutional crisis]. Swissinfo. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 7 Aug 2022 – via Swissinfo.
  14. ^ "Constitución De La República De Guatemala". Justia Guatemala. Article 215. Retrieved 8 Aug 2022.
  15. ^ "CC decide proteger a Silvia Valdés para no ser investigada en caso Comisiones Paralelas 2020" [CC decides to protect Silvia Valdés and stop investigation in parallel commissions of 2020 case]. RICIG. 5 April 2022. Retrieved 8 Aug 2022.
  16. ^ Valdéz, Alexander (5 Apr 2022). "CC protege a Silvia Patricia Valdés de ser investigada por el MP" [CC protects Silvia Patricia Valdés from investigation by the MP]. elPeriódico. Retrieved 8 Aug 2022.
  17. ^ Oliva, William (25 July 2022). "Lista Engel: presidenta del OJ, Silvia Valdés, asegura que publicación "es una intolerable intromisión" y defiende a señalados" [Engel list: President of the Judiciary, Silvia Valdés, assures that document is "an intolerable intrusion" and defends those accused]. Prensa Libre. Guatemala. Retrieved 12 Aug 2022.
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