Entrance of an old building with a sign for the Faculty of Law and Social Sciences of the National University of Córdoba — The court ruled in favor of the teacher Eduardo Pintore, who had reported irregularities in the evaluation of credentials | La Derecha Diario

Camara — The court ruled in favor of the teacher Eduardo Pintore, who had reported irregularities in the evaluation of credentials | La Derecha Diario

Córdoba: Justice annulled a faculty selection process at the UNC School of Law

The Federal Chamber of Córdoba ruled in favor of a candidate and ordered the 2017 selection process to be repeated

30/08/2025 20:14:00h

Editorial Team

Chamber A of the Federal Court of Appeals of Córdoba annulled a 2017 competition at the Faculty of Law of UNC. The court sided with professor Eduardo Pintore, who had reported irregularities in the evaluation of credentials. The ruling means that the university must issue a new administrative act.

Students sitting at desks inside a classroom taking an exam while a person at the front appears to be supervising

The ruling requires the Faculty of Law to repeat the selection process | La Derecha Diario

The origin of the academic conflict

The dispute began when a position for adjunct professor in Public International Law was put up for competition. Pintore challenged the third candidate, Oscar Benítez, for presenting "irregular" or unverified credentials. He also questioned the exemption granted to him from holding a doctoral degree, a requirement set forth in the call for applications.

The evaluation jury rejected the challenges and upheld the ranking order. Pintore insisted that the decision had been arbitrary and without legal basis. After exhausting administrative remedies at UNC, he appealed to the Federal Court, as permitted by the Higher Education Law.

Old two-story building with wrought iron balconies and large windows illuminated by exterior lights on a pedestrian street

Chamber A of the Federal Court of Appeals of Córdoba annulled a 2017 competition at the UNC Faculty of Law | La Derecha Diario

Irregularities in the jury's evaluation

The appellate court noted "remarkable omissions and deviations" in the allocation of scores. It pointed out that there were no clear grounds as to which publications, courses, or awards were considered. It emphasized that the partial annulment issued by UNC lacked justification, as it kept some candidates and arbitrarily excluded others.

Judges Abel Sánchez Torres and Graciela Montesi concluded that the competition should be annulled in its entirety. They recalled that the jury is obliged to justify each score to ensure proper judicial review. They indicated that the lack of reasoning renders the decision a "null administrative act."

A group of students with backpacks is waiting to enter an old building on a pedestrian street.

Pintore challenged the third candidate, Oscar Benítez, for presenting "irregular" or unverified background information | La Derecha Diario

Consequences for UNC and next steps

The ruling requires the Faculty of Law to repeat the selection process. The case once again exposes shortcomings in the faculty selection mechanisms at public universities. For the judges, transparency in these processes is essential to safeguard equal conditions.

The decision adds to other judicial precedents in which the actions of UNC's evaluation panels were questioned. With this ruling, it is now established that competitions without detailed justification violate legality. Now, the university must initiate a new procedure in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Statue of a historical figure in the center of a courtyard surrounded by a light-colored old building with arched windows and a clock at the top.

Pintore insisted that the decision had been arbitrary and without a legal basis | La Derecha Diario

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