Maria Lourdes Sereno

The Honourable
Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno
24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
Incumbent
Assumed office
August 25, 2012
Appointed by Benigno Aquino III
Preceded by Renato Corona (as Chief Justice)
Antonio Carpio (acting)
Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines
In office
August 13, 2010 – August 25, 2012
Appointed by Benigno Aquino III
Preceded by Renato Corona
Succeeded by Marvic Leonen
Personal details
Born Maria Lourdes Punzalan Aranal
July 2, 1960
Manila, Philippines
Alma mater Ateneo de Manila University
University of the Philippines Diliman
University of Michigan Law School
Religion Evangelical (Born Again)

María Lourdes Aranal-Sereno (born María Lourdes Punzalan Aranal on July 2, 1960) is the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines. At age 52, she is the second youngest and the first female to head the judiciary.[1]

In August 2010, she was appointed Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines, its 169th Member and the first appointee to the High Court by President Benigno Aquino III. Sereno is the youngest appointee to the Supreme Court since Manuel Moran in 1945, but she was surpassed by Marvic Leonen in 2012 at the age of 49, and the 13th woman appointed as a Supreme Court Justice.[2]

On 24 August 2012, President Aquino announced his appointment of Justice Sereno as the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, replacing Renato Corona, who was removed from office in May 2012 after being convicted in an impeachment trial.[3]

She is set to retire in 2030, after 20 years in office (18 years as Chief Justice), pursuant to the requirements of the 1987 Constitution.

Background

Maria Lourdes P.A. Sereno (Andres Narvasa Eulogy, November 4, 2013).

Sereno was born on July 2, 1960 in Manila to a father native to Siasi, Sulu, and to mother who served as a public school teacher. She earned a bachelor's degree in economics at the Ateneo de Manila University in 1980, and her Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of the Philippines College of Law, graduating as class valedictorian in 1984. She also earned a Master of Laws from the University of Michigan Law School in 1993. At the time of her appointment, Sereno was Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center. She was also the President of Accesslaw Inc., had taught at University of the Philippines College of Law for 19 years, and has served as a consultant for the United Nations, World Bank, and US Agency for International Development.[4]

Chief Justice Sereno is married to Mario Jose Sereno of Davao City and they have two children. Sereno served as a co-counsel with Justice Florentino Feliciano on the Fraport case in Singapore in which the Republic of the Philippines won the case.[5]

Chief Justice Sereno is also an alumna of the UP Portia Sorority.

References

  1. ↑ Conde, Chichi (August 24, 2012). "Sereno is new Chief Justice". Interaksyon. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Briefer on the appointment of Maria Lourdes Aranal Sereno to the Supreme Court". Official Gazette. August 13, 2010. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Statement of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda: On the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines". Official Gazette. August 24, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  4. ↑ Torres, Tetch (August 24, 2012). "Sereno appointed as new Chief Justice". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
  5. ↑ de Santos, Jonathan (August 24, 2012). "PH gets first ever lady Chief Justice in Lourdes Sereno". Yahoo! News. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
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Legal offices
Preceded by
Renato Corona		 Associate Justice of the Supreme Court
2010–2012 		Succeeded by
Marvic Leonen
Preceded by
Renato Corona		 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
2012–present 		Incumbent
Order of precedence
Preceded by
Feliciano Belmonte
as Speaker of the House of Representatives		 Order of Precedence of the Philippines
as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court 		Last