Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin on Thursday swore in Associate Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier as the new magistrate of the Supreme Court at the Court’s session hall in Manila.
Justice Javier succeeded Associate Justice Noel Tijam who retired last Jan. 5. She is expected to serve the SC until 2026 when she reaches the mandatory retirement age of 70 for members of the judiciary.
Prior to her promotion, Javier served as associate justice of the Court of Appeals for 12 years since 2007. Before that, she was assistant solicitor general for 13 years.
Javier is President Rodrigo Duterte’s 10th appointee to the 15-member SC.
The President earlier appointed incumbent Chief Justice Bersamin, the now retired Chief Justice Teresita J. Leonardo de Castro, Associate Justices Samuel Martirez (who retired to assume the post of Ombudsman), Tijam, Andres B. Reyes Jr., Alexander G. Gesmundo, Jose C. Reyes Jr., Ramon Paul L. Hernando, and Rosmari D. Carandang.
Still vacant is the post vacated by Bersamin as associate justice when he was promoted Chief Justice. The JBC has submitted its nominees to the vacant post.
Aside from Bersamin, who will mandatorily retire on Oct. 18, three more SC justices are set to retire this year. They are Associate Justices Mariano C. del Castillo on July 29 and Francis H. Jardeleza on Sept. 26 and Senior Associate Justice Antonio T. Carpio on Oct. 26.
Javier, a magna cum laude education graduate from the Philippine Normal University, obtained her law degree at the University of Santo Tomas University Tomas where she graduated valedictorian in 1982.
She also chaired the legal ethics department of the UST Faculty of Civil Law, and taught political law, commercial law, civil law and remedial law subjects in the same school.
Earlier, Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo said “Associate Justice Javier is a welcome addition to the 15-member bench with her vast legal experience in the government which spans for more than three decades.”
“We are confident that Associate Justice Javier, as a new guardian of the rule of law, would display a high degree of competence, integrity and independence during her stint at the Supreme Court,” Panelo said.
Javier has been shortlisted thrice for the position.