Jesús María Barrientos, president of the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia, yesterday forcefully expressed his rejection of the Amnesty law. In his opinion, the future norm that is being processed in the Congress of Deputies “does not pacify, but rather generates discord” because it is a law that “privileges a few over the entire citizenry.” He expressed his opposition to the law of criminal oblivion promoted by the Government with the independentists yesterday in the speech at the swearing-in or promise ceremony of the 44 new judges of the 72nd class destined for Catalonia. Barrientos was very critical when considering that the law can generate “spaces of impunity” and questioned whether the initiative has the necessary legitimacy to correct the judges’ resolutions. “No one, no person, entity or organization, no matter how powerful they claim to be and even if they hide behind votes, is above the law.”
Barrientos, who as president of the TSJC has condemned several prominent leaders of the process, such as Artur Mas or Quim Torra, who may be forgiven with the future law, rejected that the amnesty will improve coexistence as the Government justifies. “We can only aspire to an orderly coexistence based on respect for the constitutional order and the submission of all (citizens and public and private institutions) to the rule of law,” he added. He defended the legitimacy of the legislative power to “reform or repeal laws,” but warned that “during their validity, laws are equally binding on everyone, including judges, who in the exercise of their jurisdiction must ensure their effective application to all citizens.” on a level of equality, without exceptions or privileges, in short, without spaces of impunity that would compromise the general nature of any law.”
At the event, the president welcomed the new judges who have obtained positions to practice in Catalonia and those from other communities and indicated to them that this is a “diverse and plural society that operates between positions that are sometimes very polarized, with a stable social fabric, with permanent international exposure capable of organizing large events and being at the forefront.” Furthermore, he encouraged them to “make an effort to know their own language and to protect linguistic rights.”
