Miriam Naveira de Merly (July 28, 1934 – April 15, 2018) was a Puerto Rican jurist who served in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico from 1985 to 2004.[1] Naveira was the first woman to serve on the court as well as the first female chief justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico (2003–2004). She was also the first female to serve as the Solicitor General of Puerto Rico (1973-1976).[2]
Miriam Naveira | |
|---|---|
| 14th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico | |
| In office 2003–2004 | |
| Appointed by | Sila Calderón |
| Preceded by | José Andreu García |
| Succeeded by | Federico Hernández Denton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 28, 1934 Santurce, Puerto Rico |
| Died | April 15, 2018 (aged 83) San Juan, Puerto Rico |
| Education | College of Mount Saint Vincent (BA) University of Puerto Rico School of Law (JD) Columbia Law School (LL.M.) |
Biography edit
Naveira was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1934. She obtained her bachelor's degree in chemistry from the College of Mount Saint Vincent and her law degree from the University of Puerto Rico School of Law.
Naveira was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1985 by Governor Rafael Hernández Colón, becoming the first woman on that court. During her tenure, Naveira was known as a pragmatic and moderate justice.
After the retirement of Chief Justice José Andreu García in 2003, Governor Sila Calderón elevated Justice Naveira to the post of Chief Justice.[3] However, her tenure lasted only seven months since the Constitution of Puerto Rico states that Supreme Court Justices must retire at the age of seventy. Chief Justice Miriam Naveira retired in July 2004.[3] She was succeeded by her colleague Federico Hernández Denton.[1]
Her daughter Miriam Rodón Naveira is an environmental scientist working at the federal government of the United States which was awarded a Silver Medal for Superior Service and a Suzanne Olive EEO and Diversity Award both by the EPA.[4] She was also the first Hispanic woman to serve as branch chief of the EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) and later the first Hispanic woman to become deputy director of NERL's Environmental Sciences Division.[5]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b "Puerto Rico Swears In New Chief Justice Of Supreme Court". Puerto Rico Herald. 2004-08-10. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
- ^ Cesario, Angelica (2019-10-15). "The Firsts: Latinx Attorneys Who Paved the Way for Generations to Come - Page 5 of 6 - Above the Law CLEAbove the Law CLE". Retrieved 2023-09-07.
- ^ a b "Naveira Becomes First Female Chief Justice Of The Supreme Court". Puerto Rico Herald. 2003-12-30. Retrieved 2010-07-25.
- ^ NASA Dryden funding supports Valley Fever research. Beth Hagenauer. Antelope Valley Times. 18 June 2013.
- ^ "Miriam Rodon-Naveira, Ph.D.: NASA Dryden Flight Research Center". Latina Women of NASA. April 2009. Archived from the original on 2016-01-27.