Rafael Moreno Echavarría

Rafael Moreno Echavarría (2 August 1888 – 5 November 1960) was a Chilean lawyer, academic and politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served multiple terms as a deputy between 1926 and 1945 and was a prominent jurist in Chilean public law.

Biography Moreno Echavarría was born in Santiago to Benjamín Moreno and Elvira Echavarría. He married Marta Olivos de la Fuente on 2 September 1915, with whom he had six children.

He studied at the Colegio de los Sagrados Corazones of Santiago and later pursued legal studies at the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile. He qualified as a lawyer on 16 September 1912, with a thesis titled La cosa juzgada: breves anotaciones a los artículos 198, 199 y 200 del Código de Procedimiento Civil.

He worked as a lawyer for major companies, including British American Tobacco and the Sociedad Nacional de Paños de Tomé (Oveja Tomé). As a legal scholar, he was particularly noted for his contribution to the drafting of the Chilean Water Code. He also served as professor of philosophy at the Academy of Humanities and professor of Civil Law at the Law School of the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

Political career A militant of the Conservative Party, Moreno Echavarría served as municipal councilor and mayor of Buin in 1912, and later as councilor and mayor of the Municipality of Santiago.

He was first elected Deputy for the 9th Departmental Grouping (Maipo, Rancagua and Cachapoal) for the 1926–1930 legislative period, serving on the Standing Committee on Legislation and Justice. He was re-elected for the 8th Departmental Grouping (La Victoria, Melipilla and San Antonio) for the 1930–1932 term and continued on the same committee.

He was subsequently re-elected for the reformed 8th Departmental Grouping (Melipilla and Maipo) for the 1933–1937 legislative period, serving on the Standing Committee on Constitution, Legislation and Justice. He was again elected for the 1937–1941 term and re-elected for the 1941–1945 term, continuing his work on constitutional and judicial committees and serving as a replacement member on the Standing Committees on Finance and on Labour and Social Legislation.

During his parliamentary career, he authored legislation concerning public improvements in San Francisco de Mostazal, reforms addressing tenancy improvements, and amendments related to income taxation and stamped paper. He also participated in the examining commissions for the Codes of Water Procedure and the Organic Code of Courts.

Later activities Moreno Echavarría was a member of the General Council of the Colegio de Abogados from 1929 and collaborated with the Federation of Marian Congregations. He was awarded the Medal of Homage by the Government of Spain.

He died in Santiago on 5 November 1960.