The Law Shall Be Obeyed, Unless You're A Judge

The outgoing members of the Consejo General del Poder Judicial (CGPJ) were already severely criticised for the leniency they showed in dealing with judges who haven't done their job properly. As they are about to leave office, the distinguished members of the CGPJ couldn't leave without taking one last kick at judicial credibility. This time they decided that judges who refuse to apply the law should also go unpunished. The judge Laura Alabau refused to preside over marriages involving gay couples, and did her best to prevent them from happening; despite the fact that such unions are now completely legal in Spain. Her case reached the disciplinary commission of the CGPJ who punished the judge with a fine of – sharp intake of breath here - €305! Such a crippling punishment couldn't be allowed to stand against a judge who had been so loyal to her ideological principles, so the conservative majority on the CGPJ lifted the sanction yesterday.