Ricardo Mercader Parás Jr. (February 17, 1891 – October 10, 1984) was the

Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines The chief justice of the Philippines ( fil, Punong Mahistrado ng Pilipinas) presides over the Supreme Court of the Philippines and is the highest judicial officer of the government of the Philippines. As of April 5, 2021, the position is cur ...

from April 2, 1951 until February 17, 1961.

Career

He earned his

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

degree from the

University of the Philippines The University of the Philippines (UP; fil, Pamantasan ng Pilipinas Unibersidad ng Pilipinas) is a state university system in the Philippines. It is the country's national university, as mandated by Republic Act No. 9500 (UP Charter of 20 ...

in 1913, and placed second (after future president

Manuel Roxas Manuel Acuña Roxas (born Manuel Roxas y Acuña; ; January 1, 1892 – April 15, 1948) was a Filipino lawyer and politician who served as the fifth president of the Philippines, who served from 1946 until his death due to heart attacks in 19 ...

) in the

bar examinations Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar * Chocolate bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a layer of cloud * Bar ( ...

that same year. He engaged in private law practice before being elected in the House of Representatives in 1919. His judicial career started when he was appointed judge in 1924, and later on appointed in 1936 to the Court of Appeals. He became an associate justice in 1941, and was a member of the wartime judiciary during the Japanese Occupation. He was appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court ten years later.

Accomplishments

Paras made a frugal approach in order to survive and maintain the efficiency of service during the post-war years. He advocated the elimination of the case backlog, and encouraged speedy adjudication and deliberation of the cases. His dedication to such advocacy paid off, when there was no more backlog upon his retirement in 1961.

Trivia

His son, Edgardo L. Paras, became an

associate justice Associate justice or associate judge (or simply associate) is a judicial panel member who is not the chief justice in some jurisdictions. The title "Associate Justice" is used for members of the Supreme Court of the United States and some sta ...

of the Supreme Court from 1986 to 1992. According to Justice J.B.L. Reyes, during the deliberations of the People v. Hernandez rebellion case, Justice Sabino Padilla (who is the brother of the solicitor general arguing for the government) openly accused Chief Justice Paras of being prejudiced against the government and asking biased questions during the oral argument. Riled, Parás rebutted, and a heated exchange soon ensued, which would have worsened had not they restrained themselves.

References

* Cruz, Isagani A. (2000). ''Res Gestae: A Brief History of the Supreme Court''. Rex Book Store, Manila {{DEFAULTSORT:Parás, Ricardo Chief justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the Philippines Members of the House of Representatives of the Philippines from Quezon 1891 births 1984 deaths People from Marinduque 20th-century Filipino judges University of the Philippines alumni University of the Philippines College of Law alumni Justices of the Court of Appeals of the Philippines Governors of Quezon Members of the Philippine Legislature