Ricardo Lorenzetti facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ricardo Luis Lorenzetti
President of the Supreme Court
In office 1 January 2007 – 1 October 2018
Nominated by	Néstor Kirchner
Preceded by	Enrique Petracchi
Succeeded by	Carlos Rosenkrantz
Minister of the Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office 12 December 2004
Nominated by	Néstor Kirchner
Preceded by	Adolfo Vázquez
Personal details
Born	(1955-09-19) 19 September 1955 (age 69) Rafaela, Santa Fe, Argentina
Education	National University of the Littoral (LLB, JSD)

Ricardo Luis Lorenzetti (born 19 September 1955) is an important Argentine judge. He studied law at the National University of the Littoral in Argentina. He has had a long and successful career both in Argentina and around the world.

From 2007 to 2018, he was the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Argentina. This is the highest court in the country. He was suggested for the role by President Néstor Kirchner. The Senate, which is like a big council, agreed to his appointment. He started as a Justice on December 12, 2004. Later, on January 1, 2007, he became the Chief Justice. Today, he is still one of the five Justices on the Supreme Court.

Ricardo Lorenzetti also led a special group. This group worked to update and combine the Civil and Commercial Codes of Argentina. These codes are like rulebooks for how people and businesses interact legally. During his time as Chief Justice, the Court became very modern. It started dealing with group lawsuits, where many people sue together. The Court also created new ways to be open and clear. For example, it launched CIJ, a news agency that shares information about the justice system. The Court also set up special offices to help protect people, especially women, from violence.

Since 2020, Lorenzetti has been a board member for the Inter-American Institute on Justice and Sustainability (IIJS). This organization is based in Washington, D.C., in the United States.

Becoming a Lawyer

Ricardo Lorenzetti became a lawyer after studying at the National University of the Littoral in Santa Fe, Argentina. He started his studies there in 1974 and finished in July 1978.

He also earned a higher degree called a Doctor in Legal and Social Sciences from the same university. He received this special title on December 22, 1983. His main project for this degree was about the legal responsibility of doctors. This work was later published as a book in 1986.

Awards and Special Roles

Ricardo Lorenzetti has received many awards and holds important positions. He is known for his work in law and protecting the environment.

Here are some of his key roles and honors:

• He helps lead the Global Judicial Institute on the Environment. This group works on environmental justice around the world.
• He was a member of an expert group for UNIDROIT. This is an international organization that tries to make laws similar across different countries.
• He led the group that reformed Argentina's Civil and Commercial Codes.
• The Organization of American States (OAS) named him a Goodwill Ambassador for Environmental Justice in the Americas in 2016.
• He is part of the Environmental Justice Commission of the Ibero-American Judicial Summit.
• He co-chairs an international council for environmental sustainability with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).
• He is a member of the Steering Committee of IUCN, a group focused on nature conservation.
• The Italian government gave him a high honor called the Grand Officer, Order of the Star of Italian Solidarity.
• He received the B'nai B'rith Human Rights Award in 2010.
• He is a member of several important law academies in Argentina and other countries like Peru and France.
• He co-directs a center that studies the connection between neuroscience and law at the University of Buenos Aires.
• He is a professor of Civil and Commercial Contracts at the University of Buenos Aires.
• He has received many "Doctor Honoris Causa" degrees from universities in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. This is a special honor given to people who have made great contributions.
• He received the National Award for Freedom of Expression in 2014.
• He has won awards from law academies for his written works.

Ricardo Lorenzetti has also taught many advanced courses at universities. These include the University of Buenos Aires and other universities in Argentina. He has also given lectures at famous universities around the world. These include universities in Spain, Italy, the United States (like Columbia, Yale, and NYU), Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Uruguay, and Peru. He also spoke at a big environmental symposium in Hawaii.

Books He Has Written

Ricardo Lorenzetti has written many books and articles on law. Here are some of his main publications:

• 2019: Teoría del Derecho ambiental (Environmental Law Theory), with Pablo Lorenzetti.
• 2019: Principios e instituciones de Derecho ambiental (Principles and Institutions of Environmental Law), with Pablo Lorenzetti.
• 2018: Derecho Ambiental (Environmental Law), with Pablo Lorenzetti.
• 2018: Tratado de los Contratos - Parte General (Treatise on Contracts - General Part), Third edition.
• 2017: Justicia Colectiva (Collective Justice), Second edition.
• 2016: Fundamentos de Derecho Privado. Código Civil y Comercial de la Nación Argentina (Foundations of Private Law. Civil and Commercial Code of the Argentine Nation).
• 2015: The Art of Making Justice. This book talks about difficult cases in the Supreme Court of Argentina. It has been published in many languages and countries.
• 2014: Código Civil y Comercial de la Nación Comentado (Commentary on the Civil and Commercial Code of the Nation).
• 2013: Colección Máximos Precedentes – Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación, Responsabilidad Civil (Collection of Supreme Court Precedents – Civil Liability).
• 2012: Conflictos colectivos (Collective Conflicts), a chapter in El Derecho en movimiento.
• 2011: La empresa médica (The Medical Company), 2nd edition.
• 2011: Derechos humanos: justicia y reparación (Human Rights: Justice and Reparation).
• 2010: Justicia Colectiva (Collective Justice).
• 2009: Consumidores (Consumers), 2nd edition.
• 2008: Teoría del Derecho Ambiental (Environmental Law Theory).
• 2005: Teoría de la decisión judicial – Fundamentos de derecho (Theory of Judicial Decision – Foundations of Law).
• 2005: Contratos de servicios a los consumidores (Consumer Service Contracts).
• 2002: La emergencia económica y los contratos (Economic Emergency and Contracts).
• 2001: Tratado de los contratos-Parte general (Treatise on Contracts-General Part), 2nd edition.
• 2001: Las normas fundamentales de derecho privado (Fundamental Principles of Private Law).
• 2001: Comercio electrónico (Electronic Commerce).
• 2000: Tratado de los contratos-Parte especial (Treatise on Contracts-Special Part).
• 1998: La empresa médica (The Medical Company).
• 1997: Responsabilidad civil del médico (Civil Liability of the Physician).
• 1993: Responsabilidad por daños derivados de los accidentes de trabajo (Liability for Damages from Work Accidents).
• 1993: La responsabilidad profesional (Professional Liability).
• 1993: Defensa del consumidor -LEY 24.240- (Consumer Protection -LAW 24.240-).
• 1991: Contratos médicos (Medical Contracts).
• 1988: Convenciones colectivas de trabajo (Collective Labor Agreements).
• 1986: Responsabilidad civil del médico (Civil Liability of the Physician).

He has given over a thousand lectures and published more than 30 books. He has also written over 300 articles in specialized magazines.

His Work in the Supreme Court of Argentina

During his time at the Supreme Court, Ricardo Lorenzetti made many important changes:

• He made sure the Court focused on cases that were very important for the country. He also started holding public hearings for the first time. This meant that important court cases could be heard by everyone.
• He helped organize the National Conference of Judges. This meeting brought together judges from all over Argentina. Their goal was to improve how the justice system works. They made agreements to use electronic payments and speed up cases for retired people.
• He worked to make the Court more open to the news and public. He made agreements with news organizations. In 2008, he launched the Judicial Information Centre (CIJ). This is a news agency for the justice system. It helps people get clear and simple information about court cases.
• For the first time, the justice system created long-term plans for how it would operate over ten years.
• He created the National Management Commission. This group worked to improve the quality of how the justice system is run.
• He started the Commission for Access to Justice. This group helps solve problems without going to court. For example, they opened an office to help with domestic violence cases.
• He helped the Supreme Court connect with courts around the world. This included courts from the G20 countries, Latin America, and international courts like the International Court of Justice.
• Since 2008, he started a tradition of the "State Opening of the Judiciary" each year. This is where the plans for the justice system for the upcoming year are announced.
• The way the Court was managed, its social services, and its medical examiners were all updated. This was done to make them more transparent and easier to check.

See also

In Spanish: Ricardo Lorenzetti para niños