Amnesty Law

Will Puigdemont return if the TC endorses the amnesty for Sant Joan?

Although the Constitutional Court has given the green light to the law, the former president's appeal for protection has yet to be resolved.

Carles Puigdemont during his speech on Thursday at the Arc de Triomf.
21/05/2025
3 min

One of the questions that now arises once the Constitutional Court's schedule for the amnesty has been clarified –will rule on the constitutionality of the rule in San Juan– This is when former President Carles Puigdemont will return. Once the Constitutional Court upholds the law, as all sources indicate, will the leader of Junts be able to return? Although the Constitutional Court's decision is fundamental to the set of cases in the Process, the ruling will not automatically unblock the case of the 130th President of the Generalitat. Although it is true that there are voices that assure that a window of opportunity would open for him to try to return to Spain, especially if the Constitutional Court upholds the articles of the law that establish the immediate withdrawal of all arrest warrants, the key will continue to be the Supreme Court. Given that the high court says that the amnesty is not applicable in Puigdemont's case because he is indicted for the crime of embezzlement, it can continue saying the same in this scenario and, therefore, maintain the order of imprisonment in the State. In other words, it can continue to ignore the law. This was confirmed Tuesday night by Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, in the More than 324: "The Supreme Court has not said that it is not constitutional, but rather that it is not applicable." It would be through this appeal that the Constitutional Court should explicitly address whether the misappropriation of funds in the 1-O case is eligible for amnesty and directly question (should it deem it so) the opinion that the Supreme Court has held until now. politicians, who are also not amnestied for this crime. This would be the case for Oriol Junqueras, Jordi Turull, Raül Romeva, and Dolors Bassa, who remain disqualified. discrimination," said Boye yesterday, who demanded that the application should be "swift" so that there is "political normality." In any case, the lawyer did not comment on the deadlines: "Judges should be asked why they do not apply a law that reflects the will of the legislator."

However, even once the Constitutional Court resolves the appeals for protection (and does so favorably), The Supreme Court would still have an ace up its sleeveThis court would still be responsible for issuing any amnesty for Puigdemont, and it could opt, as it has already hinted in some rulings, to take the case to the Court of Justice of the European Union. How? Through of a movement that has already been tested by the Seville Court in the ERE case: Ask in Luxembourg whether the Constitutional Court's ruling on the amnesty complies with European law. This would delay a possible return for Puigdemont and leave his future, once again, in the hands of the EU court.

Beyond waiting for this timetable, in an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court's plans, Puigdemont's lawyer, Gonzalo Boye, has taken steps in recent months to try to remove the high court from the case and take Puigdemont to the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC). as published by ARASo far, his arguments have been rejected: he maintains that the entire embezzlement case of the 1-O election (without sedition or rebellion) took place in Catalonia and, therefore, should be tried in Catalonia. Furthermore, he adds, Puigdemont is now a member of the Catalan Parliament. It should be noted that, unlike the Supreme Court, the High Court of Justice (TSJC) has already amnestied cases of embezzlement, like that of former minister Miquel Buch and the former president's bodyguard. The former president's defense team is seeking the same for October 1st.

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