The president of the Supreme Court asks Bolaños that the Government provide means to stop attacks by politicians on judges

He also informs you that "the climate of tension" created by these attacks does not favor an agreement to renew the CGPJ.

The president of the Supreme Court (TS), Francisco Marín Castán, has demanded this Thursday from the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, that the Government put "all the means at its disposal" to stop the attacks on judges and magistrates from both the Congress and the Senate, thus alluding to the statements of Junts and PP.

Last week, the spokesperson for Junts in the Lower House, Miriam Nogueras, asked to dismiss and judge the magistrates in charge of cases related to the 'procés' and directly called the president of the Criminal Chamber of the TS, Manuel, "indecent." Marchena, and his colleagues Pablo Llarena, Carlos Lesmes and Carmen Lamela. From the senate, the 'popular' José Antonio Monago accused the judge of the National Court José Ricardo de Prada of 'lawfare' for the 'Gürtel' ruling.

In this context, Marín Castán "has conveyed to the minister the need for the Government to use all the means at its disposal to stop the attacks on the Judiciary - such as those seen in recent weeks both in Congress and in the Senate--", the TS reported in a statement.

At the same time, the head of the high court "has welcomed the demonstrations in defense of the judicial career made by Bolaños in recent days," both from the parliamentary headquarters and in other forums.

Marín Castán has also conveyed to Bolaños that, "in his opinion, the climate of tension created by these attacks does not facilitate progress towards the necessary agreements for the essential and unavoidable renewal of the General Council of the Judiciary", thus aligning himself with the president's statements. interim of the governing body of the judges, Vicente Guilarte, who has also called for lowering the soufflé.

Finally, the TS has reported that Bolaños and Marín Castán "have also addressed during the meeting, among other issues, the needs for human and material resources of the high court." Precisely, this Thursday from the Congress of Deputies, the minister highlighted the crisis of vacancies in the TS, which is already missing a third of its staff due to the non-renewal of the CGPJ.

For his part, in statements to the press upon leaving the high court, Bolaños said he was "very happy" with what he defined as "a very fruitful, very cordial and very pleasant meeting", as well as "a lot of collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and the TS".

Subsequently, Justice has highlighted that Bolaños has expressed to Marín Castán the need to "guarantee the respect and independence of judges and magistrates" and to achieve the renewal of the CGPJ as soon as possible, "which is not an option but an urgent and urgent obligation." compliance," he stressed in a statement.

Furthermore, according to the Ministry, at the meeting they spoke about the projects "to strengthen the Administration of Justice and about the initiatives" of the department "in terms of procedural efficiency, digitalization and access to the public Justice service." Likewise, he also recalled that in the meetings that the minister is holding "he is reiterating the commitment to maximum respect and continuous dialogue with all Justice professionals."

APPOINTMENT POSTPONED DUE TO DISCOMFORT IN THE TS

This is how the protagonists have expressed themselves, who have been meeting for just one hour after two postponements, one due to the unrest in the TS due to the accusations against judges and magistrates by Junts, and another due to problems with the minister's agenda.

Bolaños and Marín Castán were initially scheduled to meet at 12:30 p.m. on December 13 at the Supreme Court, but the president of the Civil Court suspended the meeting at the last moment due to "unforeseen reasons," according to reports. then the legal sources consulted by Europa Press. The same sources explained that in reality the reason was the deep discomfort in the Supreme Court over Nogueras' words.

Shortly after canceling the meeting with Bolaños, Marín Castán issued a statement in which he rejected Nogueras' "personal attack" on several judges of the Supreme Court, warning that "it does not correspond to the minimum requirements of the separation of powers in a State." of Law".

In this context, Bolaños, in statements to the press that same day from the Lower House, when asked about the suspension of the meeting with Marín Castán, insisted that he will "defend the judges and magistrates as long as they do their job with independence".

Thus, Bolaños and Marín Castán had a telephone conversation that same December 13 and, according to ministerial sources, they agreed to meet on December 19. However, they had to postpone it due to problems with the minister's agenda, finally setting the appointment for this Thursday.

In that phone call, Bolaños conveyed to Marín Castán the words he spoke at the parliamentary headquarters, with which he stated that "Spain is a state of law, with full democracy and judges act with independence and separation of powers." And "I am going to work for the prestige of the judges and magistrates in this country in the face of any attack, wherever it comes from," he added.

HARD REPROACHES IN CONGRESS

The meeting took place on the same day that Bolaños appeared at the Justice Commission of the Congress of Deputies, where he agreed with deputies from Sumar, Bildu or ERC that conservative members "too often overstep their bounds", "creating opposition " to the government. In this way, he has regretted, they delve into the "discredit" of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ).

At the opposite extreme, in the face of the insistence of Junts and ERC in their accusations against judges and prosecutors, Bolaños has once again defended them, ensuring that he will protect them from "interference" and "disqualifications." "Whoever commits, or attempts, any interference or any disqualification will have me in front of them," he has asserted.

The State Attorney General, Álvaro García Ortiz, has been more forceful, who has also gone to the same commission to undergo the suitability examination of the Lower House as part of the procedure to be renewed in office.

García Ortiz has disgraced the conservative members for having subjected him to a "court of honor" for the report in which they advised against ratifying it, while he has reproached the Supreme Court for accusing him of "diversion of power" for promoting his predecessor in the position, Dolores Delgado, to the highest category of the prosecutor's career, without even giving her a say in the procedure.

However, like Bolaños, he has ratified his defense of the 'procés' prosecutors, as well as his decision to grant them protection, despite the fact that Junts and ERC have reproached him for it. Likewise, he has stressed that in Spain "there is no political responsibility" of judges, magistrates and prosecutors, thus rejecting parliamentary commissions to detect alleged cases of 'lawfare', something that the minister also did again this Thursday.