Appointed by majority 29 of 32 votes from the Plenary of the Supreme Tribunal, President[clarification needed] of the high court on February 7, 2007 and ratified for the position for 2009-2011 and 2011-2013.
On January 9, 2013 Morales Lamuño appeared on national television to read the decision of the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal, ruling that President Hugo Chávez's inauguration could be postponed.
The court also ruled that in the meantime, Chavez's handpicked vice president, Nicolás Maduro, should run the government.
While the official position insists on the continuity of the mandate, political opposition states the ruling was clearly unconstitutional.
[5][6] On May 7, 2012, the last day Estella Morales was in charge of the presidency of the Supreme Tribunal, the court ruled a sentence (Nr.