Liana Fiol Matta
Encyclopedia
Liana Fiol Matta is a Puerto Rican jurist currently serving as an Associate Justice
in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
. She is the second woman in Puerto Rican history to serve in the highest court of the island.
and later her Masters and Doctorate degree from Columbia University
. She was a law professor in Puerto Rico
during the 1980s until she was appointed Judge of the Court of Appeals of Puerto Rico by Governor Rafael Hernandez Colon
. She held that seat until 2003, when Governor Sila Calderón appointed her to the Supreme Court. She was confirmed by the Senate and began her duties on February, 2004.
Justice Fiol Matta is perceived as the leading liberal voice in the Puerto Rican high court.
Associate Justice
Associate Justice or Associate Judge is the title for a member of a judicial panel who is not the Chief Justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the United States Supreme Court and some state supreme courts, and for some other courts in Commonwealth...
in the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
Supreme Court of Puerto Rico
The Supreme Court of Puerto Rico is the highest court of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, having judicial authority within Puerto Rico to interpret and decide questions of Commonwealth law. As the highest body of the judicial branch of the Puerto Rican government, it is analogous to one of the...
. She is the second woman in Puerto Rican history to serve in the highest court of the island.
Biography
Fiol received her Law degree from the University of Puerto RicoUniversity 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...
and later her Masters and Doctorate degree from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
. She was a law professor in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
during the 1980s until she was appointed Judge of the Court of Appeals of Puerto Rico by Governor Rafael Hernandez Colon
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,...
. She held that seat until 2003, when Governor Sila Calderón appointed her to the Supreme Court. She was confirmed by the Senate and began her duties on February, 2004.
Justice Fiol Matta is perceived as the leading liberal voice in the Puerto Rican high court.