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Constitutional Court accepts for debate the Government's challege against two judges
By h.b. - Dec 3, 2007 - 4:11 PM
ALSO SEE : • Top Spanish judge accused of drawing a gun during a traffic altercation - Dec 19, 2007 - 8:11 PM

The two Constitutional Court judges being challenged by the Government, Roberto García Calvo (left) and Jorge Rodríguez-Zapata - Photos EFE
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The two judges, Roberto García-Calvo and Jorge Rodríguez-Zapata, are on the conservative wing of the chamber
The Constitutional Court has admitted for debate the challenge placed against two of its judges by the Government. Roberto García-Calvo and Jorge Rodríguez-Zapata are on the conservative wing of the chamber, and had presented a letter to express their ‘deepest discrepancy’ over the reform of the LOTC, the Organic Law which controls the Court, promoted by the Government and which came into effect last May.

Following the Government’s challenge against the two judges, last October the Partido Popular then launched their own challenge against three other judges basing their appeal on a press report in the El Mundo newspaper, but that attempt was rejected by the Court last Tuesday.

The reform of the LOTC is the latest political battle between the Government and the opposition in the judiciary. The PP has also challenged an amendment, known as the Casas amendment, which would allow the mandate of the President of the Court, María Emilia Casas, to be extended.

If the opposition win that challenge, then the progressive wing of the court would lose the vote of the President, and any tie would be have the casting vote of the conservative magistrate, Vicente Conde.

The Government considers this to be of great importance as the PP has also launched claims to the Court against the Catalan Statute, as well as the Equality and the Gay Marriage Laws.


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ALSO SEE :
• Top Spanish judge accused of drawing a gun during a traffic altercation - Dec 19, 2007 - 8:11 PM
• Spanish constitutional commission passes Historical Memory Law - Oct 17, 2007 - 11:24 PM
• Constitutional Court admits appeal by the Basque party, ANV - May 9, 2007 - 11:04 PM