The Takeover and the Inaugural Speech
Today, Álvaro García Ortiz began his second term as head of the State Attorney General’s Office, taking office before the plenary of the Supreme Court and offering his first official speech at the Office of the Attorney General. With the notable presence of the Minister of Justice, Félix Bolaños, the event took place just one week after an internal restructuring that included numerous promotions.
Requirements of Autonomy and Honesty
In a speech that highlights the need for ‘autonomy’ and ‘honesty’ within the public ministry, García Ortiz has stressed the importance of staying ‘within the rule of law’ and acting ‘impartially’. He has asked for respect for the legislative power, especially in the context of the approval of the opinion on the amnesty law.
Limitations of Public Powers
‘Public powers are limited to exercising within the framework of their powers, all of which are framed in the most primitive constitutional postulate: respect for national sovereignty that resides in the people and from which all the powers of the State emanate ‘, said García Ortiz.
Reforms and Modernization
Álvaro García Ortiz has announced plans to carry out a reform of the Statute of the Prosecutor, unchanged for 15 years. In addition, it will promote a series of Circulars and Instructions to unify criteria, promote the prosecution of certain criminal phenomena and increase the autonomy of prosecutors, all with the aim of modernizing the fiscal ministry.
The reform will also include measures to strengthen the system of checks and balances, improve the decision-making regime and guarantee the individual autonomy of prosecutors. A set of binding doctrine is highlighted regarding the crimes of administrative fraud, embezzlement, illicit enrichment, bribery, influence peddling and negotiations prohibited to officials.
These initiatives aim to adapt the Prosecutor’s Office to regulatory changes, especially in relation to the definition of the crime of embezzlement, which is in line with the new Penal Code agreed between the PSOE and ERC.
