My answer to this question can be divided mainly into two reflections; of course it represents an honor for me to have received a distinction of this type and from none other than my peers, such as the lawyers who make up the body that organized and decided the distinction, which undoubtedly, in addition to showing us that we are on the right path, encourages us to continue and improve in everything that has to do with the organization of the Court, the quality of the people who compose it and the constant search for better methods that optimize access and communication between the person seeking justice and justice. It is worth noting that in my 44 years of Justice, this is the first time that I have received a recognition of this type, and that it comes precisely from the hand of such a prestigious institution, with 90 years of history in the country, such as the College of Lawyers of the City of Buenos Aires, an institution that, however, had to attribute to itself a function that should be exercised by the Judicial Branch with respect to its officials and employees.
On the other hand, in response to what a judge does to improve his court, this is not very different from what any person should do if he wants to achieve the best results in whatever he undertakes, especially when the freedom of other people depends on the assessment made of the evidence submitted to his decision. I understand that, mainly, people must be instructed, encouraged, and imbued with ethical standards and values so that in the career they undertake they become great civil servants. Organizing all the administrative activity of the Court is also important: transparency in the records, communication with the lawyers, access to the judge by those seeking justice through the establishment of personal hearings if they so require and above all, access to the judge by the staff, in close communication so that the people who collaborate with me feel that I am someone who is not far from the personal problems and minor issues that afflict the Court. For me, exercising the judiciary in this way is an obligation and a pleasure.
Aduana News: Are the scarce human and infrastructure resources an obstacle to administering justice?
Answer: Well, I am convinced that justice does not depend on the reduction of human or material resources, either to access it or to obtain it. The lack of means that you point out is real and true, but these issues are definitely not an obstacle to imparting justice. I will not fail to recognize that they often have repercussions on the delay of investigations, especially in criminal proceedings that depend exclusively on state support and where it is the State that must obtain evidence of the fact without the parties being able to provide it to the Court, which results in justice appearing slow in the light of public opinion when in reality, with the means at its disposal, wonders can be achieved. I am not going to say anything new with this, but all the people who are in any way related to the court activity know that both judges and clerks often provide their own vehicle, their own telephones, buy their own materials, fix things that break out of their own pockets, and often give money to witnesses or even defendants so they can travel and get to the court, not counting the employees who come to the court every day to work their shifts, stay after work, and take on the responsibility that working in courts entails without getting paid for it. And we are talking about employees, often already, lawyers with excellent grades who spend several years working without getting paid and have to leave the court without being able to be appointed.
Aduana News: What are the worst obstacles that a judge encounters when carrying out his duties?
Answer: Definitely not having reliable security forces to work with. Yes, it seems harsh but it is so. As a judge, I have had to report four different security forces for having discovered them committing crimes while fulfilling their duties. The disappointment is great, but I am living in a time of widespread corruption among those who are the immediate and only collaborators of Justice. The eyes and ears of a criminal judge and those who are also his arms when carrying out the orders that are given, which if they are carried out unfaithfully or even only defectively, distort their real reason for being and the reality of the facts. In clear words this means: sold-out raids, seizures that exceed the relevant evidence for the case, partial or false information and problems of true "jealousy" between forces that should work together for the common good and for the progress of justice and the security of all citizens. For this reason I feel that many times the Judge finds himself alone and that this generates concern in the Criminal Courts and in those who work honestly, so I support the idea of setting up a police force of our own that answers to the Judicial Power and whose only job is to work together in the search for justice.
Unfortunately, the sometimes chaotic situation in the country also conspires with criminal trials, since the lack of resources is not only found in the judiciary, but also in other state entities or companies, and often also in private ones, which must provide vital information for the proceedings, information that arrives slowly, impoverished, or never arrives due to a lack of resources to provide it, which often prevents a process from reaching a successful conclusion.
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