Minister Gloria Ana Chevesich was unanimously elected as the first woman to preside over Chile's Supreme Court for the 2026-2027 term, honoring the seniority tradition. She will assume office on January 6 amid scrutiny of the Judicial Power. Chevesich stressed that gender was not a deciding factor.
The Supreme Court elected Minister Gloria Ana Chevesich as its president for the 2026-2027 term, marking a historic milestone as the first woman to lead the highest court in its 200-year history. The decision was unanimous among attending ministers, excluding Diego Simpertigue, who is suspended over a probe linked to the Belarusian plot and facing a constitutional accusation. The vote took place in a session starting at 2:00 p.m. at the Palace of Justice and was announced after 5:20 p.m., upholding the seniority tradition over alternatives like María Angélica Repetto.
Chevesich, dubbed the 'iron judge' for her role in the MOP-Gate case where she indicted key Concertación figures for fraud amounting to nearly 800 million pesos, will assume office on January 6, succeeding Ricardo Blanco. Nominated as a minister in 2013 by Sebastián Piñera, she has a distinguished career since joining the Judicial Power in 1986, including serving as rapporteur in the 2000 ruling stripping Augusto Pinochet of his senatorial immunity and as the court's spokesperson since 2019.
'Obviously, being appointed as the first female president of the Supreme Court is a significant and very challenging experience. However, I must point out that in this designation, the gender factor was not decisive, but rather respecting a tradition,' Chevesich clarified. She expressed satisfaction at inspiring other women: 'I understand that many women see this as progress, an opening.' Facing current challenges, such as scrutiny from the Audio case and messages from lawyer Luis Hermosilla, she stated: 'We are living through very complex times. However, I believe the way to overcome them is by acting with transparency, full respect for constitutional and legal norms, and maintaining a public and private life that reflects our ethical principles.' 'The Pleno appointed me President of the Supreme Court, which I assume with humility and the commitment to fully fulfill all associated functions,' she concluded.
