Norberto Piñero (1858–1938) was a prominent Argentine lawyer, writer and conservative politician.

Life and times

Norberto Piñero was born to a landed family in the Province of Buenos Aires, in 1858. He enrolled at the University of Buenos Aires and received a ''

juris doctor The Juris Doctor (J.D. or JD), also known as Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D., JD, D.Jur., or DJur), is a graduate-entry professional degree in law and one of several Doctor of Law degrees. The J.D. is the standard degree obtained to practice law ...

'' in 1882.''Historical Dictionary of Argentina.'' London: Scarecrow Press, 1978. Becoming a Law Professor at his alma mater, Piñero joined his academic colleagues,

Rodolfo Rivarola Rodolfo is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Rodolfo (footballer, born 1992), Brazilian footballer Rodolfo José da Silva Bardella * Rodolfo Albano III, Filipino politician * Rodolfo Vera Quizon Sr. (1928-2012), Filipino actor ...

and José Nicolás Matienzo, in drafting a proposal for the overhaul of Argentina's

penal code A criminal code (or penal code) is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that might ...

, in 1890.Opinorama: el código y la vida
Presented to Congress in 1891, the proposal was notable for its elevation crimes committed in the exercise of public administration to a unified category whose severity would be just below that of

sedition Sedition is overt conduct, such as speech and organization, that tends toward rebellion against the established order. Sedition often includes subversion of a constitution and incitement of discontent toward, or insurrection against, estab ...

or high treason. The bill met with resistance in Congress, particularly in the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

, though it was largely adopted in 1903. Piñero was appointed Interventor of the

Province of San Luis San Luis () is a province of Argentina located near the geographical center of the country (on the 32° South parallel). Neighboring provinces are, from the north clockwise, La Rioja, Córdoba, La Pampa, Mendoza and San Juan. History The ci ...

in 1896, following which he participated in negotiations on Argentina's border dispute with Chile. He then began advancing vocational education as a means to foster an infant, though growing, industrial sector, and established a

technology school An institute of technology (also referred to as: technological university, technical university, university of technology, technological educational institute, technical college, polytechnic university or just polytechnic) is an institution of te ...

, the Society for Industrial Education, in 1900. His work as Dean of the school earned Piñero an appointment in 1906 as Minister of Education by President José Figueroa Alcorta, a relatively pro-reform conservative who presided over the enactment of many of the nation's first labor laws. Piñero hosted the International Congress of Americanists, in 1910. Responding to a lack of a uniform body governing ethical practices among Argentine Lawyers, Piñero helped establish the Buenos Aires Bar Association (''Colegio de Abogados de Buenos Aires''), in 1913, and served as its first president. He was also honored with the presidency of the new, National Commission on

Teatro Cervantes The Teatro Nacional Cervantes in Buenos Aires is the national stage and comedy theatre of Argentina. Overview Located on Córdoba Avenue and two blocks north of Buenos Aires' renowned opera house, the Colón Theatre, the Cervantes houses three p ...

, in 1916. Piñero was nominated by the conservative National Concentration alliance to run against the incumbent

Radical Civic Union The Radical Civic Union ( es, Unión Cívica Radical, UCR) is a centrist and social-liberal political party in Argentina. It has been ideologically heterogeneous, ranging from social liberalism to social democracy. The UCR is a member of the So ...

(UCR) in the 1922 elections, though he was defeated by the UCR by around 40%.Nohlen, Dieter. ''Elections in the Americas.'' Oxford University Press, 2005. Piñero retired from political life, devoting his time to writing numerous texts on Argentine history and law, as well as to the Mitre Institution, a historical society specializing in the life of former President

Bartolomé Mitre Bartolomé Mitre Martínez (26 June 1821 – 19 January 1906) was an Argentine statesman, soldier and author. He was President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868 and the first president of unified Argentina. Mitre is known as the most versatile ...

. Piñero died in 1938, at age 80.

References and external links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pinero, Norberto 20th-century Argentine lawyers Argentine criminologists Candidates for President of Argentina University of Buenos Aires alumni People from Buenos Aires Province Ambassadors of Argentina to Chile Argentine people of Spanish descent 1858 births 1938 deaths Argentine Ministers of Finance Argentine ministers of education 19th-century Argentine lawyers