First female head of Constitutional Court

15 June 2004

MADRID – Spain appointed its first female judge as president of the Constitucional Court Tuesday, one of the highest legal positions in the country.

María Emilia Casas Baamonde, profesor of government law, is to replace former president Manuel Jiménez de Parga.

Casas, who is seen as a progressive, has been a judge on the Consititutional Court since 1998.

Her election was backed by the new Socialist government and was an unexpected choice.

Vicente Conde Martín de Hijas, a conservative figure, had been expected to replace Parga, who gave a controversial speech just before he left office, attacking liberal figures like filmmaker Pedro Almodovar for their anti-clerical stance.

Casas was supported by seven of the 12 judges in the election for a new president.

Fifty-eight-year-old Casas was born in Lugo and is professor of Employment and social security law at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid.

She has 15 years experience as a judge and worked under a series of presidents of the Constituional Court.

[Copyright EFE with Expatica]

Subject: Spanish news