Hernán Álvarez García

César Hernán Álvarez García (10 August 1930 – 12 April 2018), commonly known as Hernán Álvarez García, was a Chilean lawyer and judge who served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Chile from 1989 to 2005 and as president of the Supreme Court from 2000 to 2001.

He was also a member of the Constitutional Court of Chile from 1997 to 2005.

Early life and education

Álvarez was born in Santiago on 10 August 1930. He studied law at the University of Chile.

Judicial career

Álvarez was appointed a justice of the Supreme Court of Chile in 1989 by Augusto Pinochet. He was the last justice appointed to the Supreme Court during the military regime.

While serving on the Supreme Court, Álvarez was also a member of the Constitutional Court of Chile from 1997 to 2005. From 2000 to 2002, he chaired the judiciary's ethics commission. He also participated in the implementation of Chile's criminal procedure reform and was described as one of its principal supporters within the Supreme Court.

President of the Supreme Court

Álvarez served as president of the Supreme Court from 2000 to 2001, succeeding Roberto Dávila Díaz. He was succeeded by Mario Garrido Montt.

In 2004, Álvarez was among the Supreme Court justices who voted against lifting former president Augusto Pinochet's parliamentary immunity in a case before the court. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld the decision to strip Pinochet of his immunity.

Álvarez retired as a justice of the Supreme Court on 8 August 2005.

Later career

After leaving the court, Álvarez served as an abogado integrante (external judicial member) of the Supreme Court from 2006 to 2008. He also worked as a director and arbitrator at the Centro Nacional de Arbitraje and continued working in private legal practice.

Álvarez died on 12 April 2018 at the age of 87.