Ricardo Lorenzetti

Ricardo Luis Lorenzetti (born 19 September 1955) is a member of the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina. He was appointed by President Néstor Kirchner, taking office on 12 December 2004, to cover the vacant seat caused by the resignation of justice Adolfo Vázquez. On 7 November 2006 he was appointed president of the Supreme Court by unanimous vote of his fellow justices, effective since 1 January 2007. [La Capital, 7 November 2006. [http://www.lacapital.com.ar/2006/11/07/politica/noticia_341050.shtml Ricardo Lorenzetti, elegido presidente de la Corte Suprema de Justicia] .]

Lorenzetti was born in Rafaela, Santa Fe Province, the son of a primary school teacher and a travelling salesman. Clarín, 12 June 2005. [http://www.clarin.com/diario/2005/06/12/elpais/p-01201.htm Lorenzetti: "Sería bueno para Kirchner no nombrar más jueces en la Corte"] .] He studied at the Faculty of Juridical and Social Sciences of the National University of the Littoral, becoming a lawyer in 1978. At the time he counseled several labour unions. He obtained his doctorate in 1983, specializing in private law. Among his first interests was the civil liability of physicians in the exercise of their profession.

Besides his work as a lawyer during 26 years in his native city, he has taught in a number of law faculties around throughout the country. He has dictated hundreds of lectures and published more than 30 books in Argentina and abroad, as well as many articles in specialized publications. [ [http://www.adccorte.org.ar/verjuez.php?iddocumento=156 ADC en la Corte] .] He was the fourth Supreme Court justice to be appointed by President Kirchner since 2003. His designation was approved by the Argentine Senate with only one vote against, and two abstentions. [Terra, 22 December 2004. [http://www3.terra.com.ar/canales/informaciongeneral/104/104170.html Lorenzetti asumió como ministro de la Corte] .]

Lorenzetti has expressed his view that the Supreme Court should be reduced to seven members, which is the current number (there should be nine, but two seats have been left vacant), since "there must be a true division of powers, which means that the members of the Court should be a number that is independent from the appointments made by a single president."

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