Reynato Puno

Reynato Puno y Serrano, KGCR (Filipino: Reynato Serrano Puno; born May 17, 1940) is a Filipino jurist.

Puno was married to Luzviminda T. Delgado-Puno (1940–2006), a lawyer who had been the Clerk of Court of the Supreme Court from 1993 to 2005.

In 1969, he joined the law practice of his elder brother Isaac, a future judge whose murder at age 42 remains unsolved to date.

In 1971, he joined the Office of the Solicitor General, where he would serve for the next nine years.

He was also one of the Outstanding Alumnus of the Alpha Phi Beta fraternity - UP College of Law in 1975.

As a member of the Judiciary, he has received honorary doctorates from Wesleyan University Philippines, the Angeles University Foundation, Bulacan State University, Hannam University of South Korea, the Central Philippine University, University of the East, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the Philippines and Silliman University.

Puno was named one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men (TOYM) of the Philippines award in the field of law in 1977.

In 1980, Puno was appointed by President Ferdinand Marcos as a Justice of the Court of Appeals.

He rejoined the executive department in 1984, this time as a Deputy Minister of Justice.

Upon the assumption into office of President Corazon Aquino in 1986, Puno was reappointed to the Court of Appeals.

Puno has been praised for his erudite and literary writing style.

His predecessor as Chief Justice, Artemio Panganiban, once lauded Puno's writing in the following manner: "Like a trained surgeon, he uses his pen with razor-like precision to separate the excise fabrication from truth and pretension from reality. In the process, he gives life to populist causes and libertarian ideals. Darting, gutsy and erudite, he often wages lonely battles against conventional wisdom with his stirring dissents and insightful opinion." (Panganiban, Justice and Faith, p. 142)

Puno is a freemason and Past Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of the Philippines.

MW Reynato S. Puno PGM is from Hiram Lodge No. 88, and also a charter member of Jacques DeMolay Memorial Lodge No.305, and also a dual member of Dagohoy Lodge No. 84.

Puno had initially been appointed to the Supreme Court as an associate justice on June 28, 1993.

On June 28, 1993, President Fidel V. Ramos appointed Puno as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court at the age of 53.

He would serve in that capacity for the next 13 years.

In 1996, he was chosen the "Outstanding Alumnus" by the University of the Philippines College of Law.

Upon the retirement of Justice Josue Bellosillo in 2003, Puno became the Senior Associate Justice.

Traditionally, the most senior Associate Justice was appointed to fill any permanent vacancy to the seat of the Chief Justice, though this tradition was not always observed.

Upon the retirement of Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr.. in 2005, Puno, as the senior Associate Justice, was a leading candidate for appointment as the next Chief Justice.

However, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo instead appointed Associate Justice Artemio Panganiban as Chief Justice, marking the first time in 20 years that the senior Associate Justice was bypassed.

Justice Puno remained as the most senior Associate Justice for the twelve months of the term of Chief Justice Panganiban.

Despite some speculation that President Arroyo would again bypass Puno and appoint either Associate Justice Leonardo Quisumbing or Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago as Chief Justice, Puno was appointed to the post within hours from the retirement of Panganiban.

Puno denied speculations that he will retire from the

She died at 5:10 am, April 12, 2006, at the St. Luke's Medical Hospital, Quezon City due to complications from heart surgery.

He served as the 22nd chief justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines from December 8, 2007, by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo until his mandatory retirement on May 17, 2010.

On April 25, 2007, Narcisa "Sisang" Serrano Puno, 92, mother of Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno, died at the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.

The 22nd Puno Supreme Court held a National Consultative Summit on extrajudicial killings on July 16 and 17, 2007 at the Manila Hotel.

Invited representatives from the three branches of the government participated (including the AFP, the PNP, CHR, media, academe, civil society and other stakeholders).

Puno gave the keynote speech and closing remarks.

On January 7, 2008, the Social Weather Stations (November 30 to December 3, 2007) survey released the performance rating of Chief Justice Reynato Puno - 32% satisfied and 34% dissatisfied, or net –2, having been in single digit since March 2007.

The World Peace Prize Awarding Council (WPPAC) Chief Judge and Co-Founder Lester Wolff and WPPAC Executive Judge and Co-Founder Dr. Han Min Su, WPPAC Sec. Gen. Judge Dr. Asher Naim, and WPPAC Judge Dr. Mohammad A. Cholkamy, on October, recognized Puno as 2008 Human Cultural Asset International.

position of Chief Justice before May 17, 2010.

Puno was appointed on January 23, 2018, as the chairperson of the Consultative Committee to Review the 1987 Constitution by virtue of Executive Order No. 10.

Puno is also the chairman of the solar energy company named "GenWATT".

Puno earned his law degree from the University of the Philippines Diliman.

During his stay in the state university, he also served as editor of The Philippine Collegian.

He would later finish post-graduate studies at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas (Master of Comparative Laws), University of California, Berkeley (Master of Laws), and University of Illinois (finished all academic requirements of the degree of Doctor of Judicial Science).

Puno began his legal career in private practice.