The President of the Supreme Court of Chile, officially the President of the Most Excellent Supreme Court of Justice (), is the member of the Supreme Court of Chile responsible for presiding over it. The president is elected by the court itself from among its members and serves a two-year term, with no possibility of re-election. The duties of the office are defined in Section 2 of Title VI of the Código Orgánico de Tribunales (Organic Code of Courts).

Duties

Direction of the Supreme Court The president's primary duty is to lead the Supreme Court. In this capacity, the president is responsible for: Exercising, with respect to the Supreme Court, the following powers that the Organic Code of Courts grants to the presidents of the Courts of Appeals: Presiding over the court in all its public sessions; Convening the chambers daily for operation, summoning officials as necessary to constitute them; Opening and closing court sessions, extending or shortening sitting hours when urgent matters require it, and calling extraordinary sessions when necessary; Maintaining order within the courtroom, admonishing anyone who disrupts proceedings and removing them from the chamber if required; Directing the court's deliberations, granting the floor to members who request it; Setting the questions to be debated and the propositions to be put to a vote; Calling a vote on matters under discussion once the court has declared debate closed; Drawing up the docket for each chamber in order of priority assigned to cases, and distributing the workload among the court's rapporteurs and other staff; Attending to the daily dispatch of business and issuing procedural orders and decrees in matters within the court's jurisdiction or that of any of its chambers; Overseeing the maintenance of the general roll of cases admitted to the court and of special rolls for cases classified as urgent or ordinary; Directing the compilation of judicial statistics for the Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeals, based on the bimonthly reports submitted by the latter; Taking appropriate measures to ensure that cases before the Supreme Court and the Courts of Appeals are decided within the statutory time limits, and ensuring that the Courts of Appeals fulfil the same obligation with respect to cases before the judges within their respective territorial jurisdictions; Hearing and resolving complaints lodged against subordinate staff of the Supreme Court; Designating a member of the court to remain on duty during the judicial recess.

Single-judge and special jurisdiction Under Article 53 of the Organic Code of Courts, the President of the Supreme Court also acts as a single-judge court of exception, constituted as such whenever a case assigned by law to this jurisdiction arises. The president has jurisdiction to hear and decide at first instance: Cases concerning the removal of judges of the Courts of Appeals; Civil lawsuits brought against one or more members or judicial prosecutors of the Courts of Appeals to enforce their legal liability for acts committed in the exercise of their functions; Prize cases and other matters to be adjudicated under international law; Any other matters assigned to this jurisdiction by statute.

Appeals against judgments issued by the President of the Supreme Court are heard by one of the court's chambers, except in removal cases, which fall to the Supreme Court sitting in plenary session (excluding the President).

Presidents of the Supreme Court

No. Picture Name University Notes Period 1 Gregorio Argomedo Real Universidad de San Felipe First president of the Supreme Court of Chile. 1823–1825 2 Juan de Dios Vial del Río Real Universidad de San Felipe 1825–1850 3 Manuel Montt Real Universidad de San Felipe Served this first term before becoming President of Chile. 1850–1851 4 Ramón Luis Irarrázaval Real Universidad de San Felipe Also served as Minister of the Interior and Minister of Foreign Affairs. 1851–1855 5 Manuel Cerda y Concha Real Universidad de San Felipe 1855–1861 6 Manuel Montt Torres Real Universidad de San Felipe After serving as President of the Republic, he returned to preside over the Supreme Court in this second term until his death. He is the only person to have held both offices. 1861–1880 7 José Miguel Barriga Instituto Nacional Served on the revision commission of the Civil Code of Chile alongside Andrés Bello, was one of the founding judges of the Court of Appeals of Concepción, and served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies of Chile. 1880–1881 8 Alejandro Reyes Cotapos University of Chile Also served as a parliamentarian and minister of state. 1882 9 Álvaro Covarrubias University of Chile Also served as a parliamentarian and minister of state; ran as a candidate for President of the Republic in 1871. First term. 1883 10 José Bernales Urmeneta Real Universidad de San Felipe First term. 1884 11 Belisario Prats Pérez Served as minister of state in the final days of President José Manuel Balmaceda's government. 1885 12 José Cousiño First term. 1886 13 Álvaro Covarrubias University of Chile Second term. 1887 14 José Bernales Urmeneta Real Universidad de San Felipe Second term. 1888 15 José Cousiño Second term. 1889–1890 16 Vicente Ábalos 1891 17 Gregorio Amunátegui University of Chile 1891–1893 18 José María Barceló University of Chile Served as parliamentarian, minister of state, and dean of the University of Chile Faculty of Law. 1893 19 Carlos Risopatrón University of Chile 1894 20 José Alfonso Cavada University of Chile Also served as minister of state. First term. 1895 21 Andrés Sanhueza 1896 22 Máximo Flores 1897 23 Leopoldo Urrutia University of Chile First term. 1898 24 Gabriel Palma Guzmán First term. 1899 25 Carlos Casanueva Ramos 1900 26 Ramón Huidobro University of Chile 1901 27 José Alfonso Cavada University of Chile Second term. 1902 28 Galvarino Gallardo Font First term. 1903 29 Gabriel Gaete First term. 1904 30 Vicente Aguirre Vargas 1905 31 Leoncio Rodríguez 1906 32 Carlos Varas Herrera First term. 1907 33 Leopoldo Urrutia University of Chile Second term. 1908 34 Gabriel Palma Guzmán Second term. 1909 35 Enrique Foster 1910 36 José de Bernales Mancheño 1911 37 Luis Vial 1912 38 Galvarino Gallardo Font Second term. 1913 39 Gabriel Gaete Second term. 1914 40 Eleazar Donoso 1915 41 Eduardo Castillo Vicuña 1916 42 Carlos Varas Herrera Second term. 1917 43 Luis Silva 1918 44 Gabriel Gaete Third term. 1919–1922 45 Braulio Moreno 1922–1925 46 Javier Figueroa University of Chile Brother of President Emiliano Figueroa Larraín. Was exiled by Carlos Ibáñez del Campo. First term. 1925–1927 47 Felipe Anguita 1927 48 Gustavo Sepúlveda 1927–1929 49 Dagoberto Lagos 1929–1931 50 Javier Figueroa University of Chile Reinstated by President Juan Esteban Montero. Second term. 1931–1932 51 Abraham Oyanedel University of Chile Served as Vice President of Chile following the events of 1932, transferring power to Arturo Alessandri Palma. Together with Manuel Montt, he is the only President of the Court to have also served as head of state. 1932–1935 52 Humberto Trucco University of Chile First term. 1934–1937 53 Romilio Burgos 1938–1940 54 Carlos Novoa 1940–1943 55 Humberto Trucco University of Chile Second term. 1944–1950 56 Gregorio Schepeler 1951–1954 57 Humberto Bianchi 1954–1957 58 Miguel Aylwin University of Chile Father of President of the Republic Patricio Aylwin. 1957–1960 59 Rafael Fontecilla 1960–1963 60 Pedro Silva 1963–1966 61 Osvaldo Illanes 1966–1969 62 Ramiro Méndez 1969–1972 63 Enrique Urrutia Manzano University of Concepción Issued numerous complaints against the government of Salvador Allende. Gave his approval to the 1973 Chilean coup d'état. Was the first president to have studied at the University of Concepción. 1972–1975 64 José María Eyzaguirre 1975–1978 65 Israel Bórquez In 2016, the Chamber of Deputies declared him a "national disgrace" and requested the Judiciary remove images of the late judge from its premises and hold no tributes in his honour, due to his conduct opposing the extradition of Manuel Contreras. 1978–1983 66 Rafael Retamal Pontifical Catholic University of Chile 1983–1988 67 Luis Maldonado 1988–1991 68 Enrique Correa Labra University of Chile 1991–1993 69 Marcos Aburto University of Chile After his term, served as an appointed senator. 1993–1995 70 Servando Jordán University of Chile 1996–1997 71 Roberto Dávila Pontifical Catholic University of Chile 1998–1999 72 Hernán Álvarez University of Chile 2000–2001 73 Mario Garrido University of Chile Distinguished jurist and author of numerous publications on criminal law, including a four-volume work. 2002–2003 74 Marcos Libedinsky University of Chile 2004–2005 75 Enrique Tapia Witting University of Concepción 2006 – 6 January 2008 76 Urbano Marín University of Chile First president of the Supreme Court without a judicial career background. 6 January 2008 – 18 December 2009 77 Milton Juica University of Chile 18 December 2009 – 6 January 2012 78 Rubén Ballesteros University of Valparaíso The first president to have studied at what is now the University of Valparaíso. 6 January 2012 – 5 January 2014 79 Sergio Muñoz Gajardo Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso The first president to have studied at the Pontifical Catholic University of Valparaíso. Later impeached and removed from office by the Senate on 16 October 2024 following a constitutional accusation for "notable abandono de deberes" (notable neglect of duties). 6 January 2014 – 5 January 2016 80 Hugo Dolmestch University of Concepción 5 January 2016 – 8 January 2018 81 University of Valparaíso 8 January 2018 – 2020 82 Guillermo Silva University of Concepción 6 January 2020 – 2022 83 Juan Eduardo Fuentes University of Concepción 2022 – 2024 84 Ricardo Blanco University of Chile 2024 – 2025 85 Gloria Ana Chevesich University of Chile First woman to hold the office. 6 January 2026 – present

See also Supreme Court of Chile

References