The Defender of Children and Adolescents, Marisa Graham, modified the internal regulations of the institution to remain in office after her reappointment was delayed due to the non-formation of the Bicameral Committee for the Defense of the Rights of Girls, Boys, and Adolescents. According to what the Argentine News Agency learned, the head of the institution sought to be revalidated, but the space to do so was the aforementioned Bicameral, which did not activate due to divergences in its composition.
One of the first actions to keep Graham in position was taken by the Peronist bloc towards the end of 2024, through a resolution project promoted by Senator Alicia Kirchner. Graham's term ends on February 28, 2025. She has been in office since the same month in 2020.
For this reason, she issued a resolution (1/25) on January 7, modifying the internal regulations. She relied on another resolution, 21/2021, which states that, "in the event that the reappointment or designation of the successor of the Defender is not arranged", they will continue in "the exercise of their functions" under the terms of articles 49 and 61 of Law No. 26,061.
In her arguments, Graham emphasizes a supposed legal vacuum based on omissions between articles 60 and 61 of Law 26,061 that create "unavoidable uncertainty regarding the continuity of human rights protection" and "administrative and judicial processes promoted" by the Defender's Office. Moreover, she argues that "the vacancy implies the loss or decay of rights, the prescription of criminal actions, the suspension of delays in judicial matters, the interruption of dialogue initiatives undertaken to channel the leading and effective participation (...)" of the rights of children and adolescents.
