José Andreu García
Encyclopedia
José Antonio Andreu García (born September 18, 1937) is a Puerto Rican jurist
who served as Chief Justice of Puerto Rico
from 1992 to 2003. He was known for his moderate approach to Constitutional Law
.
from the University of Puerto Rico
. He later received his Law Degree in 1961 from the same university.
From 1963 to 1973 he held the position of District Judge, Assistant District Attorney, District Attorney and Superior Court Judge. After privately practicing law for 19 years, in 1990 Governor Rafael Hernández Colón
appointed Andreu to fill a vacancy as Associate Justice in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Eighteen months later he was elevated to the position of Chief Justice after the retirement of Chief Justice Víctor Pons
.
Chief Justice Andreu had a brief dispute with Governor Pedro Rosselló
in 1997 when Rosselló decided to have Associate Justice Baltasar Corrada del Río
deliver the oath of office to him during his second inauguration. Andreu publicly said this break with tradition was unnecessary.
After eleven years at the helm of the Court, Andreu decided to resign in 2003 during the governorship of Sila Calderón. Calderón initially appointed Secretary of State Ferdinand Mercado
to succeed Andreu but he was rejected by the Senate
. Eventually, Andreu was replaced by his colleague Associate Justice Miriam Naveira
, the first woman ever to fill that position.
After his retirement Andreu returned to private practice.
Jurist
A jurist or jurisconsult is a professional who studies, develops, applies, or otherwise deals with the law. The term is widely used in American English, but in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth countries it has only historical and specialist usage...
who served as Chief Justice of Puerto Rico
Chief Justice
The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English common law, such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Constitutional Court of South Africa, the Court of Final Appeal of...
from 1992 to 2003. He was known for his moderate approach to Constitutional Law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
.
Career and Education
Andreu received his Bachelor's Degree in 1958 in EconomicsEconomics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
from the University of Puerto Rico
University of Puerto Rico
The University of Puerto Rico is the state university system of Puerto Rico. The system consists of 11 campuses and has approximately 64,511 students and 5,300 faculty members...
. He later received his Law Degree in 1961 from the same university.
From 1963 to 1973 he held the position of District Judge, Assistant District Attorney, District Attorney and Superior Court Judge. After privately practicing law for 19 years, in 1990 Governor Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón
Rafael Hernández Colón is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the fourth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico for three non-consecutive terms, from 1973 to 1977 and from 1985 to 1993. An experienced politician, Hernández holds the record for being the youngest Governor of Puerto Rico,...
appointed Andreu to fill a vacancy as Associate Justice in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico. Eighteen months later he was elevated to the position of Chief Justice after the retirement of Chief Justice Víctor Pons
Víctor Pons
Víctor Pons was a former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico and Secretary of State of Puerto Rico.Appointed by Governor Rafael Hernández Colón, Pons headed the high court from 1985 until 1992, succeeding Chief Justice José Trías Monge....
.
Chief Justice Andreu had a brief dispute with Governor Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, M.D., , is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the sixth Governor of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001...
in 1997 when Rosselló decided to have Associate Justice Baltasar Corrada del Río
Baltasar Corrada del Río
Baltasar Corrada del Río is a former politician from Puerto Rico. He held various high political offices in the island, including President of the Puerto Rico Civil Rights Commission, Resident Commissioner , Mayor of the capital city of San Juan , Puerto Rico's 15th Secretary of State and...
deliver the oath of office to him during his second inauguration. Andreu publicly said this break with tradition was unnecessary.
After eleven years at the helm of the Court, Andreu decided to resign in 2003 during the governorship of Sila Calderón. Calderón initially appointed Secretary of State Ferdinand Mercado
Ferdinand Mercado
Ferdinand Mercado-Ramos is a former Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of State under Governor Sila Calderón from 2001 to 2004. His government service ended after Gov...
to succeed Andreu but he was rejected by the Senate
Senate of Puerto Rico
The Senate of Puerto Rico is the upper house of the Legislative Assembly of Puerto Rico, the territorial legislature of Puerto Rico. The Senate is composed of 27 senators, representing eight constituent senatorial districts across the commonwealth, with two senators elected per district; an...
. Eventually, Andreu was replaced by his colleague Associate Justice Miriam Naveira
Miriam Naveira
Miriam Naveira Merly is a Puerto Rican jurist who served in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico from 1985 to 2004. Naveira was the first female ever to serve on the court as well as the only female Chief Justice .-Biography:Naveira was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico in 1934...
, the first woman ever to fill that position.
After his retirement Andreu returned to private practice.