Guilhermina Prata | |
|---|---|
| Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to France, Liechtenstein, Monaco and Switzerland | |
| Assumed office January 2023 | |
| President | João Lourenço |
| Vice President | Esperança da Costa |
| Preceded by | João Bernardo de Miranda |
| Ministry of Justice | |
| In office 2008–2012 | |
| President | JoséEduardo dos Santos |
| Vice President | Fernando da Piedade Dias dos Santos |
| Preceded by | Manuel Miguel da Costa Aragão |
| Succeeded by | Rui Jorge Carneiro Mangueira |
| Member of the Angolan National Assembly | |
| Assumed office 1992 | |
| President | JoséEduardo dos Santos |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 8 May 1952 Luanda,Angola |
| Party | People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) |
| Alma mater | Agostinho Neto University University of Coimbra |
Guilhermina Contreiras da Costa Prata (born 8 May 1952) is an Angolan lawyer,politician and diplomat. She was a Member of the Angolan National Assembly,Minister of Justice and Vice-president of the Constitutional Court. Since 2023,she serves as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to France,Liechtenstein,Monaco and Switzerland.
Prata was born on 8 May 1952 in Luanda,Angola. [1] She studied a degree in law at Agostinho Neto University,Luanda,Angola. She then studied a master's in law and business sciences at her alma mater in collaboration with the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra,Coimbra,Portugal. [2]
In 1985,Prata began her legal career at the Office of Legal Affairs. [1] [3] At the 1992 Angolan general election,Prata was elected as a member of the Angolan National Assembly. [1] From 1993 to 1999 she was Secretary of the Parliamentary Group of the MPLA. [1] [4] From 1996 to 2004 she was Legal Advisor of the Parliamentary Group of the MPLA. [1]
Prata was a member of the "Working Group to Enhance Women's Representation and Promote the Consideration of Gender Issues Within Parliaments in Southern Africa" in 1996. [5]
In 2004,Prata was appointed Vice-Minister of Justice. [6] In 2005,she announced that a new Penal Code Bill has been finalised and was ready for discussion within the Justice and Law Reform Commission. [7] In 2006,she pushed for legal measures to be taken about drug use in Angola [8] and attended the session of Ministers of Justice and Emigration of the Economic Community of Central African States (CEEAC). [1]
Prata was promoted to Minister of Justice in September 2008 and was in office until 2012. [4] [9] In June 2009,she attended events to promote children's rights for International Children's Day [10] and in 2010 she promoted learning of the Portuguese language to strengthen new juridical systems in Angola. [11] In 2011,Prata announced the creation of the office of Court Secretary to improve the timeliness of the handling of administrative and financial matters. [12] In 2012,she praised the adoption of the Law on Domestic Violence in Angola. [13]
In November 2017,Prata was appointed as Judge Counsellor and Vice-president of the Constitutional Court of Angola. [14] [15] In November 2022,Prata retired from the Constitutional Court. [16] [17]
In January 2023,Prata was appointed as Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador of the Republic of Angola to France by the president of Angola,João Lourenço. [2] [18] [19] She succeeded João Bernardo de Miranda as Ambassador. By 2024,she was also accredited as Ambassador to Liechtenstein,Monaco and Switzerland. [20] [21] [22]
Prata is a member of the Angolan Bar Association, [1] the Association of Angolan Jurists [2] and the International Federation of Women in the Legal Career (FIFCJ). [2]