The General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), the governing body of Spanish judges, has asserted “the need to respect the independence of the Judiciary” in the face of “disparagement” originating from “high state institutions.”
The CGPJ’s Permanent Commission has approved an institutional declaration expressing its concern “over the statements” made by “officials of high state institutions that question the independence, responsibility, and submission to the law” of various “judicial proceedings.”
These statements, the text continues, “contribute to eroding public confidence in the rule of law.” It further maintains that “the defense of constitutional values and principles, judicial independence, and the right to a defense are the pillars upon which the rule of law rests.” The CGPJ considers that “an environment of this nature weakens the foundations of an advanced democratic society,” while criticizing the “politicization and instrumentalization of judicial activity.”
The Permanent Commission appeals for “respect” toward judicial decisions, stating that such “respect is incompatible with disparagement or with attributing purposes to the jurisdictional function that are foreign to guaranteeing the rule of law and citizens’ freedoms.”
