• Courts. Judges for Democracy, to Pablo Iglesias: "Disregard for the truth as pressure on judicial independence is inadmissible"
  • Politics.Churches and Montero charge the judges after sentencing their spokesperson in Madrid for assaulting the Police

The former judge Baltasar Garzón and some thirty jurists, among them three magistrates emeritus of the Supreme - José Luis Martín Pallín, Fernando Salinas and Jordi Agustí -, have signed a manifesto of support for the Vice President of the Government Pablo Iglesias after the statement of the Judicial Power against his criticisms of the sentence that condemns the leader of PodemosIsa Serra.

The signatories consider "serious, very serious" that from the General Council of the Judicial Power (CGPJ) "an 'admonition' is made to one of our highest representatives in the Government", a reproach they see as "inadmissible interference in a Rule of law".

This new clash between Iglesias and the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), the second in a hundred days of the coalition government, occurred this week after the comment that the vice president published on his Twitter profile criticizing the condemnation of the Madrid deputy of We can Isa Serra for an attack on authority and injuries when she tried to prevent an eviction.

For this thirty jurists, "this note from the permanent commission of the CGPJ -with a vote against- supposes an inadmissible interference in the rule of law and confuses judicial independence", in addition to not respecting the freedom of expression of Churches.

They also accuse the CGPJ of misrepresenting the words of Iglesias on Twitter, where he noted: "Many people feel that very powerful corrupts go unpunished thanks to their privileges and contacts, while those who protested a shameful eviction are sentenced."

"Free criticism"

According to the manifesto, affirming that this comment leads to "a suspicion of lack of impartiality of the Spanish judges", "it is an unfounded presumption for anyone who has read the message."

Iglesias "has exercised free criticism of judicial decisions, even though the CGPJ may find it inadmissible to 'question judicial action'," the signatories defend, stressing that judicial independence is not respected, avoiding criticism of the judges' decisions.

After sharing the opinion of Iglesias about the sentence, which they consider "incurs serious errors in the evidentiary paradigm", they insist that "any citizen, including a vice-president of the Government, has the right to express an opinion on it, as on the other hand it is a common practice that has been done praisingly or critically in other judicial matters without, reasonably, the CGPJ has deemed it convenient to raise its voice. "

According to the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • General Council of the Judiciary
  • Pablo Iglesias
  • Twitter
  • Baltasar Garzón
  • Justice

SpainJudges for Democracy, to Pablo Iglesias: "Disregard for the truth as pressure on judicial independence is inadmissible"

Justice Enabling August or issuing sentences 'in voce': CGPJ measures to avoid the collapse of the courts after the state of alarm

Covid-19Vox turns to judges to investigate actual death toll from coronavirus