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Supreme Court Rejects Baltasar Garzón’s Bid to Rejoin the Judiciary

Upholding the CGPJ’s decision not to reopen the 2012 execution orders, the court affirms domestic finality over a nonbinding 2021 UN Human Rights Committee view

Overview

  • The Supreme Court’s administrative‑law chamber dismissed Garzón’s appeal against the CGPJ’s inadmission of his review request, leaving his 2012 expulsion in place.
  • Garzón was removed from the judicial career after a 2012 Supreme Court conviction that imposed an 11‑year disqualification for ordering illegal interceptions in the Gürtel case.
  • His request for review rested on a 2021 UN Human Rights Committee opinion that found a rights violation, but Spanish judicial bodies do not treat that opinion as binding.
  • The Supreme Court said it will issue a written judgment with full reasoning in the coming days to explain the legal grounds for the dismissal.
  • The ruling highlights the domestic courts’ emphasis on the finality of executed sentences and leaves Garzón working as a private lawyer rather than returning to the bench.