Congress refuses to request reports on the amnesty law from the CGPJ and the Fiscal Council

2023-11-28 21:16:45

The PP proposal for the Board of the Congress of Deputies to request reports from the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) and the Fiscal Council on the amnesty law has been rejected by the Board itself with the votes of PSOE and Sumar. The bill agreed with the Catalan independence parties continues its processing and complies with the established steps to see the light soon.

Sources from the PP to Europa Press reveal that their representatives on the Lower House Board have defended the convenience of the Judiciary and prosecutors ruling on the rule that aims to amnesty almost 400 people involved in the ‘procés’. The Popular Party insists that the rule is unconstitutional and that it violates equality between Spaniards, as it has been defending for weeks.

The request for this type of reports is mandatory in the case of bills. It is not mandatory when it comes to law proposals, initiatives presented by parliamentary groups, a route that the PSOE has used to register and process the norm in the Congress of Deputies. The PP insists that it was Félix Bolaños who presented the initiative at a press conference and not the PSOE spokesperson, Patxi López. Bolaños now also assumes the Ministry of Justice.

From the Popular Party they consider that Bolaños explained that it was a “bill” that was “vehiculated through a bill”, which is why they detail that it should have reports from the CGPJ and the Fiscal Council. The popular ones say that these bodies could help clear up doubts and clarify terms of the amnesty law.

The deadlines of the amnesty law

The lawyers of Congress have already given the ‘green light’ to the proposal of the amnesty law. With the endorsement of the legal services of the Lower House, the procedures have begun so that it can finally be approved. In this way, the lawyers, who have the function of advising, did not see that the proposition is unconstitutional.

Once the text of the amnesty law has been examined by the Congressional Board, the parliamentary groups have 15 days to present amendments. But this time could be reduced by half, since it is processed urgently. Everything indicates that a vote could already be held in mid-December in the Plenary Session of Congress.

Then it must go to the Senate, a chamber for which the month of January is a non-working day. Therefore, until March, or even April, it would not be definitively approved in Congress.