Trial of former parliament bureau to be repeated for lack of impartiality from judges

The Spanish Supreme Court has ordered the Catalan High Court to repeat the trial of former members of Catalonia's parliament bureau at the time of the 2017 independence referendum because of a lack of impartiality from two judges.

Anna Simó, Lluís Corominas, Lluís Guinó, and Ramona Barrufet's right to a fair trial was violated by judges Jesús María Barrientos and Carlos Ramos, the Supreme Court ruled, as the two magistrates had previously explicitly expressed their opinions on the matter. 

Their sentences have been vacated and they will have to be tried again by different judges. 

Disobedience convictions

The politicians were banned from holding public office for 20 months after being found guilty of disobedience defying orders from Spain’s Constitutional Court and allowing Catalan MPs to vote on laws pursuing independence that had been deemed illegal. Additionally, they were fined €30,000 each. 

Simó, Corominas, Guinó, and Barrufet all appealed the ruling after the sentence, alleging a lack of impartiality, a point that the Spanish Supreme Court has now agreed with. 

Former CUP MP Mireia Boya, who was also judged in that trial, did not appeal because she was acquitted.