Carmen María Argibay was born on June 15, 1939, in Buenos Aires. She passed away in the same province on May 10, 2014, and was an important figure in the judicial field of the Argentine Republic.
Argibay served as a minister on the Supreme Court of Justice of the nation and is especially remembered for founding the Office of Women (OM) within the Court and for her involvement in issues related to women’s rights, such as abortion.
Argibay: her career in the judicial field
Argibay studied at the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires, from which she graduated as a lawyer on June 11, 1964. Her professional career began in the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires (CABA), where she first entered as a temporary employee at the National Criminal Court Letter N in 1959. A year later, she was officially appointed to the position, and two years later, she was promoted.
She also held the same position at the National First Instance Juvenile Court Letter “M.” In 1965, she resigned to work as a practicing lawyer but later returned as interim secretary at the National Criminal Investigation Court No. 2. She served as acting secretary in several courts.
After holding various positions and following the military coup of 1976, Argibay was appointed judge at the National Criminal Sentencing Court Letter Q in 1984. In 1988, she was promoted to judge of the National Criminal and Correctional Appeals Chamber, a position she held until her retirement in 2002.
She was selected as a member of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation in 2003 and formally appointed as minister of the Supreme Court in 2005.
Argibay: a full professional trajectory
Among her most notable achievements was the creation of the Women’s Office within the Court, inaugurated by Minister Argibay in 2009. This office aims to promote gender equality and women’s access to justice.
She was also a co-founder of the International Association of Women Judges and co-founder and first president of the Association of Women Judges of Argentina. Both organizations seek to promote the participation of women in the judiciary and strengthen their presence and exchange not only in Argentina but globally.
Throughout her career, Argibay also worked as a professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Buenos Aires and as an adjunct professor at the University of Belgrano and the University of Salvador.
She also served as director of the “Free Cultural Work for Employees, Workers, and Retirees” at the Women’s Library Association. Additionally, she was a member of several associations, including the International Association of Penal Law, the International Association of Social Defense, and the Association of Magistrates and Officials of the National and Federal Judiciary, among others.
The legacy of Argibay
Thanks to her academic and professional contributions, Argibay received the Konex Award twice—first in 2008 and again posthumously. This award recognized her as one of the five most distinguished judges of the decade in Argentina. Argibay is remembered for her commitment to defending women’s rights, especially regarding the Law of Voluntary Termination of Pregnancy (IVE).
Her dedication to women’s rights was also recognized with the Dignity Award granted by the Permanent Assembly for Human Rights (APDH) in 2004, awarded to women whose careers demonstrate a clear commitment to gender equality.
She was also honored by the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, which named one of the rooms in the Palace of Justice the “Carmen María Argibay Room.” The Palace houses the Supreme Court of Justice of Argentina.
She was the first Argentine jurist to be appointed to an international criminal tribunal—in her case, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Thanks to her professional achievements, strong commitment to defending women’s rights, and her work to promote gender equality and inclusion within the justice system, Argibay is widely remembered for her contributions.
She is frequently mentioned in journals and articles as one of the most prominent figures—and women—in Argentina’s legal field.