Alicia Austria-Martinez facts for kids

Maria Alicia Austria-Martinez (born December 19, 1940) is a Filipino judge. She served as an important judge, called an Associate Justice, in the highest court of the Philippines, the Supreme Court. She was a justice from 2002 to 2009. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo appointed her to this high position in 2002.

A Career in Law

Maria Alicia Austria-Martinez began her government career in 1962. She first worked as a clerk, helping with office tasks. Later, she became a Legal Officer, dealing with legal matters.

Her time in the Office of the Insurance Commissioner was brief. In 1964, she became a legal researcher. This started her long and impressive career in the judiciary. The judiciary is the system of courts and judges.

She slowly moved up in the court system. She held different roles, like Attorney Researcher and Senior Attorney. By 1976, she became a Division Clerk of Court for the Court of Appeals. This meant she managed court records for a specific division.

Becoming a Judge

In 1983, she became a Presiding Judge. She worked at the Regional Trial Court in Calamba, Laguna. Later, she moved to Pasig as a Presiding Judge. From 1990 to 1992, she was also an Executive Judge in Pasig. This meant she oversaw other judges in that area.

She also helped lead groups for judges. These included the Philippines Judges’ Association. She also worked with the Philippine Women Judges’ Association.

In 1992, she returned to the Court of Appeals. This time, she was an Associate Justice. She served there until 2001. Then, she became the Presiding Justice of the Court of Appeals. This is a very high position in that court.

Her time as Presiding Justice was short. In 2002, she was appointed to the Supreme Court. She became an Associate Justice of the highest court in the country.

Her Important Work

Justice Austria-Martinez did many important things. She was an examiner for the Bar Examinations. These are tests lawyers must pass to practice law. She helped create rules for Family Courts. These rules covered topics like child witnesses and adoption. She also taught and shared her knowledge in many legal programs.

She studied at the University of the Philippines. She earned her law degree in 1962. She passed the Bar Examinations that same year. She also earned a master's degree in National Security Administration. This was from the National Defense College of the Philippines. She even helped examine students there. She also attended a special program for lawyers at Harvard Law School in 1999.

Early Retirement

In September 2008, Justice Austria-Martinez decided to retire early. She sent a letter to the Supreme Court. She said her health was the reason. She retired on April 30, 2009. This was about 15 months before her required retirement age. The Chief Justice at the time, Reynato Puno, said it was her right to retire. Other judges noted she had health issues even before joining the Supreme Court.

Her Family Life

Maria Alicia Austria was born in Manila in 1940. She learned about law from a young age. Both her parents were lawyers. Her father, Benjamin A. Austria, served in the Philippine Air Force. Her mother, Remedios M. Austria, was a Doctor of Civil Law. She also worked as a consultant at the University of Santo Tomas.

Justice Austria-Martinez was married to Daniel T. Martinez. He used to be the Clerk of Court for the Supreme Court. She has two sons.

Other Roles

After leaving the Supreme Court, Justice Austria-Martinez continued to contribute. She served as the dean of the Adamson University College of Law. This was from 2012 to 2015.

Important Court Decisions

Justice Austria-Martinez wrote important opinions on many cases. These opinions explain her legal views on a case. Here are some examples:

• Macalintal v. COMELEC (2003) — This case was about whether the Overseas Absentee Voting Act was constitutional.
• Tecson v. COMELEC (2004) — She wrote a separate opinion on the nationality of a presidential candidate.
• Honasan v. Panel of Investigators (2004) — This case was about the power of the Department of Justice to investigate a Senator.
• Freedom from Debt Coalition v. MERALCO (2004) — She had a concurring and dissenting opinion. This was about needing notice before electricity rates go up.
• ETPI v. ICC (2004) — This case was about the government's power to allow telecommunications services.
• People v. Tomaquin (2004) — This case looked at whether a confession made with a barangay captain's help could be used as evidence.
• Olivares v. Marquez (2004) — This was about how to challenge local tax assessments.
• Tolentino v. Mendoza (2004) — This case dealt with whether confidential birth records could be used as evidence.
• ABAKADA v. Ermita (2005) — This case was about whether the Expanded Value Added Tax Law was constitutional.