The two main judicial associations, the Professional Association of the Judiciary (APM) and the Francisco de Vitoria Judicial Association (AJFV), have demanded from the Minister of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños, “respect” and “institutional responsibility” after his criticism of judge Juan Carlos Peinado, who has prosecuted Begoña Gómez for four alleged crimes.
The APM, the first association in number of members within the judicial career, has described as “unacceptable” that a member of the Government affirmed that the magistrate's decision “has shamed many citizens” and also “many judges and magistrates”. In its statement, it recalls that in a rule of law, judicial decisions must be appealed through legal channels, not through public statements.
“Judicial resolutions are not fought through public discrediting, but through the appeals system”, stresses the association, which insists that procedural channels exist precisely to guarantee the rights of all parties and correct possible errors within the judicial system itself.
Furthermore, the APM stresses that judges “do not need the Executive Power to attribute collective states of mind to them”, but “institutional respect, prudence in public statements and a clear defense of judicial independence”, even when decisions do not coincide with the Government's interests.
Along these lines, the association has also urged the Ministry of Justice to focus its efforts on the structural problems of the system, such as the “serious organizational and material difficulties” derived from the implementation of the courts of first instance, instead of intervening in debates about ongoing procedures.
For its part, the AJFV has gone a step further and has denounced that Bolaños' statements constitute “a direct attack on judicial independence and the separation of powers”. The association has expressed its “deep concern” over the “discredit” that, in its opinion, this type of statements generate.
Likewise, it has demanded "institutional responsibility" from public authorities and has warned that "groundlessly questioning the work of judges only increases distrust and aggravates division". In its statement, it also regrets that these declarations were made at an event such as the presentation of the SERÉ scholarships, intended for candidates for the judicial and prosecutorial career.
