National
Spanish judicary takes strike action today
By h.b.
Oct 21, 2008 - 8:07 AM

Judicial secretaries will today halt all activity in the courtrooms across the country for some three hours in support of judges who are claiming a lack of resources and also about what they see as government intervention in their activities.

The charges made against a judicial secretary in the Mari Luz Cortés case, of a two year suspension without pay for failing to ensure a man, Santiago del Valle, found guilty of abusing his daughter was actually sent to prison, has highlighted the overwork seen in the judiciary system in Spain. The man, who remained on the street, is the accused in the murder of five year old Huelva girl, Mari Luz Cortés.

Legally the judicial secretaries cannot support the judge’s protest today, but they have called ‘working meetings’ to take place at the same time.

The Ministry for Justice has fixed minimum services at 30%, but it is unknown whether this will be met.

Meanwhile Juan José Cortés, the father of Mari Luz, has announced that a two part television mini-series is to be made about the kidnapping and death of his daughter. He said it would be done with utmost respect and he would be supervising the script.