The Government partially pardons Laura Borràs and avoids her entry into prison despite the Public Prosecutor's rejection

The Government has granted this Tuesday a partial pardon to Laura Borràs that will prevent her entry into prison. The Council of Ministers has commuted the sentence of four years, six months and one day of prison imposed on the former president of the Parliament to another of two years.

The measure only affects the custodial sentence. Borràs maintains the fine of 36,000 euros and the disqualifications from holding public office imposed in the sentence, which amounted to thirteen years for the crimes of administrative prevarication and document forgery.

The Executive has followed the criterion of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia, which condemned the former leader of Junts and later asked to reduce her stay in prison. The magistrates considered that imprisonment was "disproportionate and excessive" compared to the damage caused and understood that disqualification already offered a sufficient criminal response.

Sixteen months waiting for the Government's decision

The possibility of a pardon had been on the table since the first TSJC ruling, issued in March 2023. The procedure remained pending until the Supreme Court confirmed the conviction in February 2025. The Catalan court formalized the request for the measure of grace on March 28 of that same year and suspended Borràs's entry into prison while the Government made a decision.

Sixteen months have passed since then. The file remained in the hands of the Ministry of Justice after the Superior Prosecutor's Office of Catalonia presented a report against the pardon in June 2025. The Public Prosecutor's Office described the pardon as an "absolutely unjustified and arbitrary" measure and defended the full compliance of the sentence.

The prosecutor also reproached Borràs for continuing to present herself as a victim of "lawfare" and for not having shown repentance. The Government has finally opted to assume the approach of the sentencing court, which had ruled out the need to maintain a sentence of more than two years in prison.

18 contracts awarded to a friend

The conviction is related to Borràs's time at the head of the Institució de les Lletres Catalanes between 2013 and 2018. Justice considered it proven that she irregularly split 18 minor contracts, valued at 335,700 euros, to award them directly to a computer friend and avoid public procurement procedures.

The case led to her suspension as president of the Parliament in July 2022 and the subsequent withdrawal of her seat. The Supreme Court confirmed the conviction and refused to apply the Amnesty Law, concluding that the facts constituted corruption and lacked any relation to the independence 'procés'.

The pardon must now be published in the Official State Gazette. The TSJC will then execute the new sentence of two years in prison, the reduction requested by the Chamber itself so that Laura Borràs does not enter prison.