Criminal Law Articles

Social and political pact against gender-based violence

Support for the victims of gender violence Organic Law for the Comprehensive Protection of Children and Adolescents against Violence   The acting executive has approved an Institutional Declaration on the occasion of the International Day against Sexual Exploitation and Trafficking of Women and Children, which since 2019 will be celebrated every 23 September. The Minister for Territorial Policy and spokesperson for the acting government, Isabel Rodríguez, reiterated the commitment "to real equality between men and women, which necessarily requires the eradication of all forms of violence especially against women". Rodriguez pointed out that sexual exploitation and trafficking for this purpose is "modern slavery using the...

Intelligence Centre against Terrorism

Terrorist and extremist content on the social networks Prevention of radicalisation among the youngest users   Spain and Europol lead the removal of more than 2,000 TikToks containing terrorist content The operation, involving 11 countries, is part of the priorities set by the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU and aims to mitigate the incidence of terrorist and extremist content on the social network The Intelligence Centre against Terrorism and Organised Crime (CITCO) of the Ministry of Home Affairs has coordinated the actions of the state law enforcement forces and agencies in a Europol operation that has led to the removal of more...

Operations against wildlife trafficking

The fight against wildlife crime European Action Plan against Trafficking in Wildlife   In the absence of an official, centralised database to monitor the illegal mortality of protected wildlife in Spain, the most exhaustive analysis of this problem in our country to date was presented this week. It has been prepared by the WWF together with the International Centre for Environmental Law Studies (CIEDA-CIEMAT), the University of Granada and the Institute for Advanced Social Studies (IESA-CSIC). According to the investigation, authorities compiled a total of 4,902 cases of crimes committed against protected wildlife species between 2015 and 2020, involving the deaths of at...

Agreement in the EU

Investigation and prosecution of environmental crime and defend ecosystems from multiple threats   The Council of the EU and the European Parliament have reached a provisional agreement on a proposal for an EU directive that will improve the process of investigating and prosecuting environmental crime. The agreement is the outcome of the negotiations that took place in the trilogues, promoted by the Spanish presidency of the Council of the EU. The acting Minister for Justice, Pilar Llop, has highlighted "the commitment of Spain and the EU to pursue environmental crimes and defend ecosystems from multiple threats". She also recalled that "this new law is a framework...

Latest anti-terrorist operations

Impact of artificial intelligence on organised crime and the fight against child sexual abuse   Grande-Marlaska calls on internet platforms to develop "ethical algorithms" to prevent minors being exposed to radicalised content The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, took part in the EU Internet Forum, which addressed the impact of artificial intelligence on organised crime and the fight against child sexual abuse. Fernando Grande-Marlaska warned of the risk of the use of generative artificial intelligence by terrorist organisations and called for "responsibility" from internet platforms in developing "ethical algorithms" that limit the exposure of users, "and especially minors", to radicalised content. The minister made this...

Europe’s internal security

Prevention and fight against serious criminal phenomena European Multidisciplinary Platform Against Criminal Threats (EMPACT)   Fernando Grande-Marlaska is committed to 'maintaining and improving' police cooperation with Georgia in the fight against crime. The Minister for Home Affairs met with his Georgian counterpart, Vakhtang Gomelauri, with whom he signed the bilateral agreement on mutual recognition and exchange of driving licences. The Minister for Home Affairs, Fernando Grande-Marlaska, met this Friday with his Georgian counterpart, Vakhtang Gomelauri, in a meeting in which he highlighted the mutual efforts made in recent months "to maintain and even improve the excellent level of bilateral collaboration in all areas affecting security...

National Strategy to Combat Organised Crime and Serious Offences

National Strategy to Combat Organised Crime and Serious Offences Incorporates the investigation and neutralisation of the economic and financial structures of criminal organisations   The government has begun to implement the National Strategy to Combat Organised Crime and Serious Offences 2019-2023, which seeks to provide the State law enforcement agencies and other public bodies with a unified and modern framework of reference to prevent and fight these criminal phenomena that so seriously harm society. This new text, published on Friday, 22 February in the Official Journal of Spain (Spanish acronym: BOE), revises and updates the previous strategy in force from 2011 to 2014, and...

Jurisdictional functions

Main legal professions in Spain Judges, public prosecutors and court clerks | Lawyers and court attorneys | Notaries and registrars   Judges, Public Prosecutors and Court Clerks   The Constitutional Law on the Judiciary establishes that jurisdictional functions may only be exercised by professional judges and magistrates, who make up the judicial profession. Entry to the judicial profession is based on the principles of merit and ability. Judicial appointments, the selective process of which is conducted in conjunction with appointments to the profession of public prosecutor, are subject to passing a public examination and a theoretical and practical selection course. Candidates must hold a law degree...