León Arslanián
Encyclopedia
León Arslanián is an Argentine lawyer, jurist and public official who notably served as Chief Justice in the tribunal that presided over the 1985 Trial of the Juntas.
. His father was an Armenian Argentine tailor who emigrated from Aintab (today Gaziantep
), in 1917. He enrolled at the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires
and later at the University of Buenos Aires
, where he earned a Law Degree
.
Arslanián was appointed to the National Criminal Court of Appeals in 1984 by the newly-inaugurated government of President Raúl Alfonsín
, and in this capacity, he served in the panel of judges overseeing the historic 1985 Trial of the Juntas, presiding over the sentencing phase that concluded on December 9.
He resigned his post in the National Criminal Court of Appeals in 1988, and joined fellow tribunal judge Jorge Torlasco in a private law practice. President Carlos Menem
appointed Arslanián Minister of Justice on January 30, 1991. Arslanián succeeded in having the nation's penal code reformed to mandate oral testimony
in all criminal trials, and enacted the creation of a Court of Cassation
for the purpose. President Menem's appointment of two conservative figures to the new tribunal raised objections by Arslanián, however, and the Justice Minister resigned on September 6, 1992.
He was designated President of the Province of Buenos Aires Crime Prevention Institute on February 11, 1998, and on April 13, accepted the post as provincial Minister of Justice and Security from Governor Eduardo Duhalde
.
Arslanián proposed gun control
measures, enacted stricter guidelines against police misconduct
and streamlined criminal court proceedings, to which he attributed speedier rulings and a decline in crime rates in the province's coastal tourism hub
, for example. His advocacy of secondary crime prevention policies centered around a more robust social policy
. This stance, however, coincided with increased voter anxiety surrounding rising crime rates, as well as higher poll numbers for right-wing Unidád Bonaerense
candidate Luis Patti
. Governor Duhalde supported the Justice Minister and his policy; but following repeated criticism by the frontrunner, Justicialist Party
gubernatorial candidate Carlos Ruckauf
, Arslanián resigned on August 5. Ruckauf was elected governor and appointed far-right former Carapintadas
mutineer Aldo Rico
as Arslanián's successor.
He returned to public service in April 2004, when Buenos Aires Governor Felipe Solá
named him Minister of Security. He established a 9-1-1
emergency dialing system, and moved to delegate Provincial Police powers to a number of auxiliary departments. Ongoing reports of police corruption
prompted the Minister's dismissal of up to 5,000 officers, and budgeting restrictions limited the formation of the new auxiliary forces, however. Arrests rose by 91% during Arslanián's tenure despite these problems; but opposition figures reiterated claims that he was "soft on crime" as elections approached in 2007, deriding Arslanián as the "Minister of Insecurity." He stepped down from the post in December and returned to private practice.
He joined the Democratic Security Agreement (ASD), an progressive
advocacy group
dealing with crime prevention, and in 2010 presented a proposal to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
for the creation of a Crime Observation Office to better quantify and examine crime trends and causes in Argentina.
Life and times
León Carlos Arslanián was born in Buenos AiresBuenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
. His father was an Armenian Argentine tailor who emigrated from Aintab (today Gaziantep
Gaziantep
Gaziantep , Ottoman Turkish: Ayintab) previously and still informally called Antep; ʻayn tāb is a city in southeast Turkey and amongst the oldest continually inhabited cities in the world. The city is located 185 kilometres northeast of Adana and 127 kilometres by road north of Aleppo, Syria...
), in 1917. He enrolled at the Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires
Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires
Colegio Nacional de Buenos Aires is a public high school in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the tradition of the European gymnasium it provides a free education that includes classical languages such as Latin and Greek. The school is one of the most prestigious in Argentina...
and later at the University of Buenos Aires
University of Buenos Aires
The University of Buenos Aires is the largest university in Argentina and the largest university by enrollment in Latin America. Founded on August 12, 1821 in the city of Buenos Aires, it consists of 13 faculties, 6 hospitals, 10 museums and is linked to 4 high schools: Colegio Nacional de Buenos...
, where he earned a Law Degree
Law degree
A Law degree is an academic degree conferred for studies in law. Such degrees are generally preparation for legal careers; but while their curricula may be reviewed by legal authority, they do not themselves confer a license...
.
Arslanián was appointed to the National Criminal Court of Appeals in 1984 by the newly-inaugurated government of President Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Alfonsín
Raúl Ricardo Alfonsín was an Argentine lawyer, politician and statesman, who served as the President of Argentina from December 10, 1983, to July 8, 1989. Alfonsín was the first democratically-elected president of Argentina following the military government known as the National Reorganization...
, and in this capacity, he served in the panel of judges overseeing the historic 1985 Trial of the Juntas, presiding over the sentencing phase that concluded on December 9.
He resigned his post in the National Criminal Court of Appeals in 1988, and joined fellow tribunal judge Jorge Torlasco in a private law practice. President Carlos Menem
Carlos Menem
Carlos Saúl Menem is an Argentine politician who was President of Argentina from 1989 to 1999. He is currently an Argentine National Senator for La Rioja Province.-Early life:...
appointed Arslanián Minister of Justice on January 30, 1991. Arslanián succeeded in having the nation's penal code reformed to mandate oral testimony
Subpoena ad testificandum
A subpoena ad testificandum is a court summons to appear and give oral testimony for use at a hearing or trial. The use of a writ for purposes of compelling testimony originated in the Ecclesiastical Courts of the High Middle Ages, especially in England...
in all criminal trials, and enacted the creation of a Court of Cassation
Court of cassation
A Court of Cassation is a high instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation are appellate courts of the highest instance. They are roughly equivalent to supreme courts in other countries...
for the purpose. President Menem's appointment of two conservative figures to the new tribunal raised objections by Arslanián, however, and the Justice Minister resigned on September 6, 1992.
He was designated President of the Province of Buenos Aires Crime Prevention Institute on February 11, 1998, and on April 13, accepted the post as provincial Minister of Justice and Security from Governor Eduardo Duhalde
Eduardo Duhalde
-External links:...
.
Arslanián proposed gun control
Gun control
Gun control is any law, policy, practice, or proposal designed to restrict or limit the possession, production, importation, shipment, sale, and/or use of guns or other firearms by private citizens...
measures, enacted stricter guidelines against police misconduct
Police misconduct
Police misconduct refers to inappropriate actions taken by police officers in connection with their official duties. Police misconduct can lead to a miscarriage of justice and sometimes involves discrimination...
and streamlined criminal court proceedings, to which he attributed speedier rulings and a decline in crime rates in the province's coastal tourism hub
La Costa Partido
La Costa Partido is a partido located on the Atlantic coast of Buenos Aires Province in Argentina.-Overview:The provincial subdivision has a population of about 60,000 inhabitants in an area of , and its capital city is Mar del Tuyú, which is located from Buenos Aires.The economy of La Costa...
, for example. His advocacy of secondary crime prevention policies centered around a more robust social policy
Social policy
Social policy primarily refers to guidelines, principles, legislation and activities that affect the living conditions conducive to human welfare. Thus, social policy is that part of public policy that has to do with social issues...
. This stance, however, coincided with increased voter anxiety surrounding rising crime rates, as well as higher poll numbers for right-wing Unidád Bonaerense
Federalist Unity Party
The Federalist Union Party is a right-wing political party active in various provinces of Argentina. Its most visible leader is the former police chief, Luis Patti, former Mayor of Escobar, who is accused of torturing people during the last dictatorship....
candidate Luis Patti
Luis Patti
Luis Abelardo Patti is an Argentine politician and a former senior police officer, accused of involvement in torture and murder during the 1970s. He is leader of the conservative Federalist Union Party....
. Governor Duhalde supported the Justice Minister and his policy; but following repeated criticism by the frontrunner, Justicialist Party
Justicialist Party
The Justicialist Party , or PJ, is a Peronist political party in Argentina, and the largest component of the Peronist movement.The party was led by Néstor Kirchner, President of Argentina from 2003 to 2007, until his death on October 27, 2010. The current Argentine president, Cristina Fernández de...
gubernatorial candidate Carlos Ruckauf
Carlos Ruckauf
Carlos Federico Ruckauf is a Peronist politician in Argentina, member of the Justicialist Party.-Biography:Carlos Federico Ruckauf was born in the western Buenos Aires suburb of Ramos Mejía. His parents separated when he was seven, and he lived in Mar del Plata, Salta, and Buenos Aires during the...
, Arslanián resigned on August 5. Ruckauf was elected governor and appointed far-right former Carapintadas
Carapintadas
The were a group of mutineers in the Argentine Army, who took part in uprisings during the presidency of Raúl Alfonsín in Argentina.In December 1986, the Ley de Punto Final was introduced...
mutineer Aldo Rico
Aldo Rico
Aldo Rico is an Argentine military man and politician, famous for his role in the episodes of 1987 and 1988 where sectors of the Armed Forces, known as carapintadas , revolted to protest the policies of...
as Arslanián's successor.
He returned to public service in April 2004, when Buenos Aires Governor Felipe Solá
Felipe Solá
Felipe Solá is an Argentine politician of the Justicialist Party and was the governor of the province of Buenos Aires until he left office in 2007....
named him Minister of Security. He established a 9-1-1
9-1-1
9-1-1 is the emergency telephone number for the North American Numbering Plan .It is one of eight N11 codes.The use of this number is for emergency circumstances only, and to use it for any other purpose can be a crime.-History:In the earliest days of telephone technology, prior to the...
emergency dialing system, and moved to delegate Provincial Police powers to a number of auxiliary departments. Ongoing reports of police corruption
Police corruption
Police corruption is a specific form of police misconduct designed to obtain financial benefits, other personal gain, or career advancement for a police officer or officers in exchange for not pursuing, or selectively pursuing, an investigation or arrest....
prompted the Minister's dismissal of up to 5,000 officers, and budgeting restrictions limited the formation of the new auxiliary forces, however. Arrests rose by 91% during Arslanián's tenure despite these problems; but opposition figures reiterated claims that he was "soft on crime" as elections approached in 2007, deriding Arslanián as the "Minister of Insecurity." He stepped down from the post in December and returned to private practice.
He joined the Democratic Security Agreement (ASD), an progressive
Progressivism
Progressivism is an umbrella term for a political ideology advocating or favoring social, political, and economic reform or changes. Progressivism is often viewed by some conservatives, constitutionalists, and libertarians to be in opposition to conservative or reactionary ideologies.The...
advocacy group
Advocacy group
Advocacy groups use various forms of advocacy to influence public opinion and/or policy; they have played and continue to play an important part in the development of political and social systems...
dealing with crime prevention, and in 2010 presented a proposal to the Argentine Chamber of Deputies
Argentine Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies is the lower house of the Argentine National Congress. This Chamber holds exclusive rights to create taxes, to draft troops, and to accuse the President, the ministers and the members of the Supreme Court before the Senate....
for the creation of a Crime Observation Office to better quantify and examine crime trends and causes in Argentina.