Begoña case: candidate jurors list released in Spain

The list of candidate jurors in the Begoña case: clean process or manipulated?
The publication of the list of candidate jurors for the case involving Begoña Gómez has peine the debate on the transparency of the system. The PDF, hosted on the Madrid City Council's electronic office, contains the names of the residents who could be called to deliberate on the alleged involvement of the Prime Minister's vvife in corruption offences. The legal requirements are clear: being Spanish, of legal age, able to read and write, and residing in the province where the offence was committed. However, scepticism prevails among observers.

The spectre of pressure on the jury
Several voices warn that the process is not safeguarded against possible interference. There are antiestéticars that the draw could be manipulated to select favourable profiles or, alternatively, that dissenting jurors could be pressured during the isolation they are subjected to during the trial. The experience of previous trials, where attempts at bribery or coercion have been documented, does not invite optimism. A user who was called as a juror in another case recounts that members are locked in a hotel with no outside contact, which, while protective, also makes them a target for influence strategies.

From words to deeds: what does the law say?
The Jury Act (Spain's lay jury law) establishes a random selection procedure from the electoral register, with the possibility of challenges by the parties. But distrust focuses on the exclusion criteria: it has been pointed out that the Royal Decree regulating the draw filters out people with links to right-wing parties, while it sets no barriers for profiles close to the Government. The controversy is served: some believe the jury will be made up of citizens predisposed to acquittal; others, that any verdict will be challenged on grounds of manipulation.

The list is already in the hands of the defence and the prosecution. What is at stake is not only Begoña Gómez's future, but the credibility of a system that, for many, no longer offers guarantees.