Ricardo Blanco Herrera
Ricardo Luis Hernán Blanco Herrera (born 13 May 1954) is a Chilean lawyer and judge who has served as a justice of the Supreme Court of Chile since 2013. On 18 December 2023, he was elected by his fellow justices as president of the Supreme Court for a two-year term, which began on 8 January 2024 and ended on 6 January 2026.
Blanco was appointed to the Supreme Court by Decree No. 386 of 2013 of the Ministry of Justice, following confirmation by the Senate of Chile.
Early life and education
Blanco attended the Liceo de Aplicación in Santiago. He initially studied philosophy and business administration at the University of Chile before enrolling in law at the university's Faculty of Law in 1975. He graduated in 1986.
Judicial career
Blanco began his judicial career working at Santiago's 4th, 18th and 7th Criminal Courts. On 6 May 1992, he became a judge of Santiago's 13th Criminal Court. In 1996, he was appointed a court reporter at the Court of Appeals of Santiago and later at the Supreme Court. In 1999, he was appointed a justice of the Court of Appeals of San Miguel.
On 6 May 2013, President Sebastián Piñera nominated Blanco to fill the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice Sonia Araneda. His appointment required the approval of the Senate under Article 80 of the Constitution of Chile.
The Senate unanimously approved his nomination on 14 May 2013. His appointment was formalized by Decree No. 386 of the Ministry of Justice on 6 June 2013, and he took office that day.
As a Supreme Court justice, Blanco was responsible for the Labor Procedure Reform Unit from 2014 to 2016. From 2016 to 2017, he was a member of the Higher Council of the Administrative Corporation of the Judiciary. He subsequently served as National Coordinator for cases involving human rights violations from 2018 to 2021.
President of the Supreme Court
On 18 December 2023, Blanco was elected by his fellow justices to serve as president of the Supreme Court for a two-year term beginning on 8 January 2024. His term ended on 6 January 2026, when he was succeeded by Gloria Ana Chevesich.