Julio César Alak (born 9 January 1958) is an Argentine politician. From 1991 to 2007 he was intendente (mayor) of La Plata, the capital city of Buenos Aires Province. He served as Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Argentina from 2009 to 2015, under the presidency of Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and has served as Minister of Justice and Human Rights of Buenos Aires Province under Governor Axel Kicillof since 2019. Life and political career Alak was born to a family of Spanish, Italian and Armenian descent in Benito Juárez, a pampas town in Buenos Aires Province. He worked as a journalist while studying law at the University of La Plata, and joined Chacho Álvarez and other center-left Peronists supporting Antonio Cafiero in the APU. Alak taught Public Law at the university and established a private practice. He married Marita Scarpino and had three children. Alak joined the Justicialist Party in 1984. Alak became the President of the La Plata branch of the party in 1988, and was nominated its mayoral candidate in 1991. He won the election, narrowly defeating the incumbent UCR mayor, and held the post until the 2007 election. Tenure as mayor and stadium controversy In the 1990s, Alak pushed through the construction of a new stadium for La Plata, over the objections of the two major football clubs, which chose to remain in their home fields. Concurrently, Alak sponsored a minor club, La Plata FC, which some claimed was part of an Alak patronage scheme. Significant sums were allegedly spent from the city budget for activities related to that club, which has virtually no following. For some time, it was thought that it would be the only side to play in the new stadium, which was used mainly for concerts. When a security regulation forbidding wooden stands came into effect in 2005, Estudiantes de La Plata relocated their home games to the Bosque (the field of rival side Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata), and later to the Quilmes stadium. The municipality has refused to allow Estudiantes an upgrade of their field, and ignored a court order that allowed its operation until a better solution was found. This behavior triggered animosity in the Estudiantes fan base. In 2006, Gimnasia's stadium was banned as well, and their management transferred their games to the new stadium, over fans' objections. In April 2006, Alak intervened against a judicial order