Law scholar in New Zealand will be Albay’s youngest judge

MANILA, Philippines—Joan Mosatalla is just waiting to be appointed as the youngest trial court judge in Albay province.

An oath before Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno herself waits for the 37-year-old Mosatalla, a Master’s degree scholar in New Zealand’s University of Auckland, who will soon be the Presiding Judge of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) Tabaco City branch in Albay this November.

Mosatalla, a native of Tiwi, Albay, said in a statement released by the Auckland university that she did not expect to be picked out of 20 applicants vying for the MTCC post.

“Such an appointment is very political in the Philippines and I didn’t know anyone who could back up my nomination,” she said.

In January, the future MTCC judge received a New Zealand ASEAN Scholarship Award paving the way for her to take a Master’s degree in Public Law at the University of Auckland Faculty of Law.

Coming from an “average and normal family,” Mosatalla was one of the three successful children of retired government employees.

“My parents are both retired government employees and I come from an average, normal family. My three sisters and I were sent to good schools and taught to work hard – one is an executive producer/writer, one is a doctor and the other is a nutritionist/dietician– so we have all done well,” she said.

Though her studies will be interrupted for a time, the statement said Mosatalla will finish her graduate school studies by 2014.

“When I found I’d been short-listed from a field of about 20 applicants, I asked the professor to write a letter to the President for me and he was my main referral. I am very grateful for his support and I rang him straight away when I found out I had been appointed,” she said.

Mosatalla’s professor, Warren Brookbanks, commented that “Joan is a bright and very able student and she will make an excellent judge.”

But according to her, she was more “diligent” than bright.

She is married to Atty. Neil Canicula, who specializes in elections and family law.

(Editor’s note—We are reposting this article to correct the position Atty. Joan Mosatalla has been appointed to and where she hails from the Bicol region.)