Judges Strike in Spain
 Fernando Berlín the author of this blog, is the director of Radiocable.com and participates in various media in Spain.
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Some associations of judges in Spain pretend to put up a strike this upcoming February 18th. It may be that part of their revindication -augmentation of resources, superior labour, the economy- are fair, but can an entire power of the State go under strike? Is like, if Zapatero and his ministers decided to not attend to their duties, leaving the country in a state of anarchy, in strike because of the behavior of the judges, wouldn??t this be absurd?
Not many are going to attend this protest. The presentiment that it has more political motivations than labor related is extensive. And there exists reasons for the insinuation, since the citizens will be the first affected by the strike. How can it be possible to violate in this way the rights of the Spaniards? Also, the CGPJ, government body of judges, have been ??playing?? politics for a very long time: criticizing the law of the progressionist, serving as a ram for the Popular Party.
In the commentaries by ElPais.com the uneasiness is perceived:
??There are people that do not completely believe that the power is in the ballot box and not in the powerful State facts. [?] One thing is to negotiate and another to blackmail the popular representation in the courts that emit in the executive and judicial. [?] many citizens would truly like to live like a few judges live, in my business if I commit a serious error, they fire me in an instant?»
It has been argued that one of the detonators to go to the protest has been the case of ??Tirado? The judges say they feel defenseless. They have a lack of means but they are demanded ??responsibility?, they protest. (The inaction of Judge Tirado left the case of the assassination of the little girl, Mari Luz, unfinished. He was fined because of it, but the small quantity of the fine provoked a turmoil.
Everything indicates, however, that what has really agitated the judges has been the projects the Law that the Spanish government will take to parliament. One of them transfers the Judicial Instruction to the public prosecutor??s office. The judge will loose some ground, and the citizens will be investigated by a different organism than the one who judges them. In almost all the countries in our surroundings, except for Italy, this model has been implanted, which seems more beneficial, more in accordance with the world that we live in. But even it wasn??t. is it acceptable for the judges to try to impose against the politicians with a strike? After all the politicians, make laws thanks to the say of the citizens but, who has given the judges a voice to question the laws?
I do not doubt that there are not some judges in the margin of this political battle, that only ask for improvements. But they must be very careful with the negotiation terms. Remember: it is acceptable for the Iberian workers to protest, but it becomes an offense when they decide to close the runway of the airport.
