VZCZCXYZ0001
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBU #0626/01 1482122
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 282122Z MAY 09
FM AMEMBASSY BUENOS AIRES
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3787
INFO RUCNMER/MERCOSUR COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NATIONAL SECURITY COUNCIL WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHMFIUU/DEPT OF JUSTICE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS BUENOS AIRES 000626 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KJUS SNAR PHUM AR
SUBJECT: ARGENTINA: AMBASSADOR THANKS SUPREME COURT CHIEF 
JUSTICE FOR JUDICIAL COOPERATION 
 
REF: A. BUENOS AIRES 0381 
     ¶B. BUENOS AIRES 0428 
     ¶C. BUENOS AIRES 0056 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The Ambassador paid a farewell call, May 
26, on Supreme Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lorenzetti, 
commending the Court for its efforts to strengthen the 
judicial system and to improve its functioning and access for 
the country's most vulnerable sectors.  The Chief Justice had 
recently returned from a May 16-23 trip to Washington DC, 
where he met with U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts 
and Justices Alito and Ginsburg and also held meetings with 
WHA A/S Shannon and NSC Director Restrepo.  Lorenzetti 
expressed appreciation for USG interest in the Judicial 
Conference of the Americas, which the Court will host in 
September (ref A).  End Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Ambassador Wayne paid a farewell call on Supreme 
Court Chief Justice Ricardo Lorenzetti on May 26.  The 
Court's two female justices -- Vice President of the Supreme 
Court Elena Highton de Nolasco and Justice Carmen Maria 
Argibay -- also attended.  The Chief Justice had recently 
returned from a May 16-23 trip to Washington to participate 
in the American Law Institute's annual conference and to 
invite U.S. judicial authorities to attend the Judicial 
Conference of the Americas, which the Court will be hosting 
in September (ref A).  In addition to meeting with Chief 
Justice John Roberts, Justices Samuel Alito and Ruth 
Ginsburg, Lorenzetti also held meetings with WHA A/S Thomas 
Shannon and NSC Director Dan Restrepo.  (Note: Lorenzetti's 
visit received positive local press play, emphasizing 
Washington's interest in the upcoming September conference.) 
Lorenzetti was very pleased to have been so well received by 
the executive as well as the judicial branch in Washington. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Lorenzetti expects a strong regional turnout at 
September's judicial conference.  He was heartened by signs 
of USG interest in the conference, which he perceived during 
his visit.  He said all of the countries in the Americas will 
be represented and half of the region's Supreme Court 
justices are expected to attend, including Justice Alito and 
possibly Justice Ginsburg.  Lorenzetti relayed that the 
conference's principal theme will be rule of law, but that it 
will also address judiciary independence, international 
courts, and judicial management issues.  He noted that the 
Court is hoping to hold parallel workshops during the 
conference, which would address rule of law issues, the 
Inter-American Development Bank's initiatives in Latin 
America, and judicial training. 
 
¶4. (SBU) The Ambassador commended the Court's commitment to 
strengthen the country's judicial system and to restore the 
image of the courts.  He highlighted the Court's efforts to 
improve its functioning and access for the country's most 
vulnerable sectors, including establishing the Office on 
Domestic Violence and the Access to Justice Map, an online 
introductory guide to Argentina's judicial system. 
Lorenzetti and Justices Highton and Argibay expressed their 
appreciation for the Ambassador's dedication to judicial 
issues. (Note: During a May 20 farewell lunch for the 
Ambassador, Justice Highton thanked the Ambassador for the 
high-level attention he brought to Argentina's judicial 
system.  She noted that previous Embassy relations with 
Argentina's judicial system were good but functioned at the 
working level only.)  In closing, the Ambassador offered 
continued Embassy support for the September conference and 
other initiatives, such as the Embassy's voluntary visitor 
program "Justice Undergoing Change" and the "Judges Go to 
School" program, an educational outreach program by the NGO 
Conscience "Conciencia" and the Association of Judges and 
Judicial Officials of the National Judiciary. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Comment:  Under Ricardo Lorenzetti's responsible 
leadership, the Supreme Court has embarked on an ambitious 
reform program to modernize the judiciary and improve the 
rule of law in Argentina.  While progress has been gradual 
(ref B), the Supreme Court has stepped up its efforts to 
establish a more robust institutional role after a long 
period of judicial passivity (ref C).  In addition, 
Lorenzetti and his fellow justices have been very receptive 
to judicial exchanges with U.S. counterparts, an interest 
they reiterated during the meeting.  We are pleased that 
Lorenzetti now seeks to expand this dialogue to the Americas, 
and we support his initiative to host a Judicial Conference 
of the Americas.  The conference will help spark much-needed 
hemispheric dialogue and cooperation on judicial reform 
issues and presents us with an opportunity to underscore to 
our partners that judicial independence, rule of law, and 
 
strong legal clarity and consistency are fundamental elements 
of democracies. 
 
WAYNE