Leah Stendē
| Leah Stendē | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Chancellor of Eiria | |
| In office January 30th, 2022 – Incumbent | |
| Preceded by | William Lancaster |
| Vice Chancellor of Eiria | |
| In office January 30th, 2016 – January 30th, 2022 | |
| Chancellor | William Lancaster |
| Succeeded by | Lynn Morrin |
| Minister of Justice | |
| In office March 1st, 2015 – January 29th, 2016 | |
| Chancellor | Mariah Kruminš |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Leah Kara Stendē February 7, 1971 Geminus, Eiria |
| Nationality | Eirian |
| Political party | National Green Coalition (Formerly part of the Eclipse Liberal Party) |
| Spouse(s) | Peter Kalev |
| Mother | Ema Dukura Stendē |
| Father | Gaks Stendē |
| Education | Law |
| Alma mater | Geminus University [B3-L](L.L.B), Vaun University [M3-L] (L.L.M.) |
Leah Stendē is an Eirian lawyer and politician currently serving as the 45th elected (or 46th inherited) Chancellor of Eiria. Before her appointment to the cabinet of Chancellor Mariah Kruminš, she became well known for her leadership of the Renewal Commission, which prosecuted disgraced General and dictator Neil Darrin and many members of his government. She is also well known for being a pragmatic and more moderate voice within the Eirian Greens national group, especially compared to other party leaders.
Early Life and Education
Leah Kara Stendē was born at South Geminus Relief Hospital on February 7th, 1971. Her parents, Ema and Gaks, were both teachers at a local senior school (Ema taught biology while Gaks was an Eirian language teacher). Stendē has recounted that her mother's lessons got her interested in ecology and the environment growing up. During senior school, she took a Gold Class in which she completed a paper on corporate pollution and environmental law enforcement, and it is this paper that she credits with kickstarting her interest in the law.
After graduating with high marks, Stendē enrolled in the provincial Geminus University, gaining admission to the University's School of Legal Studies. While there, she joined the Court Simulation Society, an activity in which she excelled. She won the sixth national National Court Simulation Competition in her third year in University. She also worked on a number of campaigns for local Green candidates, including the freshman campaign of Senator Sara Lekran in 1992. She graduated with her Baklōrēta in General Law in 1993, earning an Advanced Honors nomination from Dr. Juris Simon, the dean of the School.
This distinguished undergraduate career allowed her to enroll in the selective Meistrēta of Criminal Law and Justice program at Vaun University in East Geminus. While her academic scholarship peaked later in her life, she was the author of a few notable papers during her graduate studies, including a breakdown of the sentiments and precedent surrounding the landmark privacy case Resa v. Denan (MdJ, Kōt-Libre).
Legal Career
After graduating from in 1995, Stendē joined the Ministry of Justice's Office of Prosecution for Geminus Province, quickly being promoted to a Standard Officer before transferring to the Office of National Prosecution in 2002. She continued to represent the government in legal cases until her firing in 2007 during a purge of politically active lawyers under the orders of Tom Kalins, Darrin's Minister of Justice.
After her purge from the Ministry of Justice, Stendē worked for Sparrow Law, a moderate-sized Geminus law firm, before joining the law faculty at the Lenia University of Public Affairs. She taught a handful of courses through the university, as well as serving as a faculty advisor for the school's Courtroom Simulation team. She also wrote a number of papers in academic journals about the law and Neil Darrin's administration, one of which ("Interpretations over Precedent: Law Enforcement under Neil Darrin") earned her an investigation and large fine for "Libel and Government Interference." This reprimand did little to stop her, as Stendē continued to openly support activist groups that repeatedly earned the ire of the growingly authoritarian government.
During the Civil War, Stendē was among a group of law enforcement officials, lawyers, and political activists who were essential in restoring the rule of law in major urban areas after the reconquest of Geminus and the re-establishing of the Republic. As such, the temporary provisional government appointed her as one of three Head Prosecutors of the Renewal Commission, the body in charge with investigating and prosecuting Neil Darrin and his collaborators. During this time, Stendē became famous in the Eirian media as released footage from the trials of Darrin and his chief of staff Markus Alder depicted her methodical and passionate questioning style. After Alder's famous outburst and breakdown on the stand, an image of Stendē even became a meme format on Eirian social media.
Political Career
After the election of Chancellor Mariah Kruminš, Stendē was one of the first names on the short list for a position on or near the Council of Ministers. She was quickly nominated to the post of Minister of Justice, and her nomination was approved by the Senate by 392 votes, one of the highest margins of approval in the history of the Republic. During her tenure as Minister, she brought back and helped standardize the Ministry of Justice's structure, making the Ministry one of the first government agencies to return to a typical structure.
As the ParvJēun government propelled the upstart Senator William Lancaster to the forefront of Eirian politics, the Ēklips Coalition was desperate to find him a running mate that would provide a steady, experienced hand to balance out the sensational spirit around Lancaster. After numerous meetings with party leaders, Stendē agreed to put her name on the ballot as Lancaster's Vice Chancellor, being lifted to the second-highest position in Eirian Politics in the 2016 Election.
During her six-year tenure as Vice Chancellor, Stendē very much adopted the traditional role of "policy whip," leading the charge on a whole host of issues including agricultural subsidies, ecological protection, and public education funding. Her persuasiveness and strong reputation proved a big boon to the Lancaster Administration, and she is largely credited with maintaining Lancaster's popularity through ensuring that his policy agenda is passed through the Senate in a timely manner.
After William Lancaster declined to run for reelection in 2022 (partially as a result of the 2020 political schism), Stendē was the clear successor for the leader of the Serso Coalition (now rebranded as the Unity Alliance). After choosing Moderate Right firebrand Lynn Morrin as her running mate, her ticket received 60.76% of the vote. Her administration, while ramping up things like environmental protection and educational programs, has largely continued on a similar trajectory as the Lancaster Administration. This also means that certain controversial decisions, such as the expansion of army funding and the military intervention in Auria, have haunted Stendē throughout her tenure as Chancellor.
Personal Life
Stendē married labor lawyer Peter Kalev in 1999. Stendē has established that she is Unitist, but doesn't frequently attend services.