MANILA- Justice Amy C. Lazaro-Javier was elected as Vice-President of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ) during the IAWJ 16th Biennial Conference held from May 11 to May 14, 2023, in Marrakesh, Morocco.
Likewise elected was Associate Justice Maria Filomena D. Singh as Regional Director for Asia Pacific of the IAWJ, Justice Lazaro-Javier and Justice Singh received the top votes from the IAWJ during the election held on May 11, 2023.
They were inducted as IAWJ’s new officers during the culmination of the Conference on May 14, 2023.
Justice Singh succeeded another Filipina magistrate, Sandiganbayan Justice Maria Theresa V. Mendoza-Arcega, who held the post of IAWJ Asia Pacific Regional Director for two terms, from 2018 to 2023.
Retired Chief Justice Leonardo J. de Castro, who previously served as IAWJ President from 2014 to 2016, was also given recognition during the Conference. She has been conferred the 2023 Arline Pacht Global Vision Award for her long-term contribution to the IAWJ and IAWJ’s goals. The award is named after IAWJ’s founding president.
The members of the Philippine delegation also took part as panelists at various plenary sessions during the three-day Conference.
Justice Singh served as part of the panel in the session on “Empowering Women Judges.” Judge Maria Josefina G. San Juan-Torres, Executive Judge of the Regional Trial Court of Morong, Rizal, was among the panelists in the session on “Trafficking and Migration” while Judge Lady Ivy Vanity D. Velasco, Municipal Trial Court Judge-at-Large, was part of the panel that discussed “Criminal Justice Innovations.”
Founded in 1991, the IAWJ is a network of female judges representing all levels of the judiciary from around the world. The IAWJ aims to, among others, fight sextortion, end gender-based violence, and build enduring systems to end trafficking. The IAWJ also seeks to advance women’s leadership in law and promote inclusive justice.