When Gladys Peña Palomino was a pre-university student in the municipality of Puerto Padre, she could hardly have imagined that more than four decades later she would be connected to the courts, not only as a dedicated judge, but also as a witness to and protagonist of the most profound transformations of the Cuban judicial system.

Las Tunas, Cuba.– She entered the Law program in 1978, and today, with 41 years of uninterrupted service, Gladys continues to be active as a substitute judge assigned to the presidency of the Las Tunas Provincial Popular Court. Her story is not only that of an exemplary professional, but also of a woman who knew how to reconcile the rigor of the law with human sensitivity, even when her own home demanded her attention.

A 1984 graduate, Gladys was initially assigned to another institution to complete her social service, but the justice system's needs led her to the Las Tunas Municipal Popular Court, where she began working in the Civil, Family, and Labor Section.

"Based on my merits, in 1988, I was allowed to join as a tenured judge in the Civil, Family, and Administrative Chamber. I remained there until my retirement in 2022. After a brief hiatus, I decided to return, first as an advisor to new judges in the Municipal Court and then in the Civil Chamber of the Las Tunas Provincial Popular Court.

"Since university, my strength has been in non-criminal law." “I wanted to work in civil law, and I was fortunate enough to be there, although at the time, you had to be wherever you were needed,” she confesses. With over 40 years of experience, she has witnessed firsthand the country’s most significant legislative reforms. The 1975 Family Code, under which she began, has given way to the current Families Code; the 1977 procedural law was replaced by a modern Code of Procedure that incorporates commercial law; and the 1988 Civil Code itself has undergone modifications.

“These new laws bring many changes. Judges, as legal professionals, have to know how to use them. For someone older, who has been accustomed for so many years to the laws I studied at university, it represents a considerable change, but we adapt,” she explains candidly.

Far from resisting, she has found an invaluable ally in the younger generations. “We must always be ready to listen to what is being passed on. No matter how many years I have, I don’t necessarily know everything. The connection with young people has been fruitful because they transmit fresh knowledge, which they bring from academia. It's a mutual collaboration, a knowledge exchange.”

Behind every long professional career, there is usually a story of quiet sacrifice. In Gladys's case, her family has been the support that made her dedication to the courts possible.

“The work in the courts has always been demanding. You have to dedicate more time than the established workday. We've always had to dedicate hours of our free time to what we do. If you don't have a family to help, it's truly impossible.

“My son started having allergic reactions, and many times I was forced to work with him, even under those conditions, because people need you and can't wait. We can't become indifferent to those involved in legal processes.”

For Gladys, working in family law entails an additional level of emotional responsibility. "It makes us much more sensitive. Cases involving child custody and deprivation of parental responsibility require special attention. It's important to remain attentive to the guidelines of the highest court, because there are the laws, but also the instructions and rulings of the Supreme Court to ensure a uniform interpretation nationwide."

Last December, Gladys Peña received the Distinction for Judicial Merit for 41 years of uninterrupted service in the Cuban court system, an award granted by the Supreme Popular Court.

"I feel very proud of such a high honor, although I believe any other colleague could have deserved it, because there are many valuable people in our system. This motivates me to work even harder, because that is what we are called to do: to enforce our laws."