Chronicle of a Death Foretold: the jurisdiction of Spanish courts on international crimes before and after the Organic Law 1/2014 on universal justice

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.12804/anidip03.01.2015.02

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Published: Mar 5, 2021
Updated: 2021-03-05
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2021-03-05 (2)
Issue: No. 3 (2015)
Section RESEARCH SECTION


Keywords: jurisdicción universal absoluta , jurisdicción universal limitada , jurisdicción universal condicionada , crímenes internacionales , crímenes transnacionales , España. absolute universal jurisdiction , limited universal jurisdiction , conditional universal jurisdiction , international crimes , transnational crimes , Spain jurisdição universal absoluta , jurisdição universal limitada , jurisdição universal condicional , crimes internacionais , crimes transnacionais , Espanha

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Authors

Enrique Carnero Rojo Corte Penal Internacional
Abstract
In March 2014, the Spanish Parliament reformed the universal jurisdiction of national courts. This article analyzes the legislative developments that led to this reform, its political origins and its consequences in judicial practice. This analysis shows that the limitations on the exercise of Spanish jurisdiction over international crimes committed abroad against non-Spanish victims began judicially in 2003. When these restrictions were declared contrary to the Spanish Constitution, the legislature amended the law in 2009 to establish limits on the exercise of universal jurisdiction for economic and diplomatic reasons and did it again in 2014, with the apparent intention of directly prevent the exercise of such jurisdiction. This latest reform, carried out unilaterally and expeditious manner, imposed strict laws on universal jurisdiction in Spain completely denatured conditions and exercise. Poor quality legal reform has not only created tensions within the courts, to prevent them from continuing to hear from most international crimes that were being investigated, but has also led to a worrying lack of legal certainty for processes futures.
Author Biography

Enrique Carnero Rojo, Corte Penal Internacional

Oficial jurídico de la Oficina Pública de Defensa de las Víctimas de la Corte Penal Internacional; asesor
jurídico adjunto de la Fiscalía de la Corte Penal Internacional (2004-2009); licenciado en Derecho, Universidad
de Deusto (España); magíster en Derecho Internacional Público, Universidad de Leiden (Países Bajos); doctorando en Derecho Internacional Penal, Universidad de Utrecht (Países Bajos). La jurisprudencia analizada en este artículo comprende hasta mediados del mes de junio de 2015. Las opiniones expresadas en este artículo son exclusivamente las opiniones personales del autor y no representan las de la Corte Penal Internacional.

How to Cite
Carnero Rojo, E. (2021). Chronicle of a Death Foretold: the jurisdiction of Spanish courts on international crimes before and after the Organic Law 1/2014 on universal justice. Anuario Iberoamericano De Derecho Internacional Penal, 3(3), 41–78. https://doi.org/10.12804/anidip03.01.2015.02 (Original work published September 29, 2015)
References

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