Court enforces pardon for Spain's Laura Borràs, sparing her prison
A partial pardon for Laura Borràs means she will not go to prison, but her ban from office remains. The jail term is replaced with a condition not to reoffend for five years.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
The Spanish government has granted a partial pardon to **Laura Borràs**, commuting her prison sentence to a condition of not committing crimes for five years, while keeping her ban from office and fine in place.
## The pardon that keeps her out of jail
The government has decided to grant a partial pardon to **Laura Borràs**, the former speaker of the Parliament of Catalonia. This means that, despite her conviction, she will not have to go to prison. The prison sentence, initially four years and six months, has been reduced to **two years**. The condition for the pardon to take effect is that **Borràs** must not commit any intentional crime within five years.
## The conviction and its nuances
The original ruling convicted her of administrative misconduct and forgery of official and commercial documents. The High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) handed down the conviction in March 2023. Notably, the TSJC itself had suggested a partial pardon, arguing that the prison sentence for continued forgery could be "excessive" given that no direct personal gain was sought. The **Ministry of Justice** confirmed last July that the granted pardon was in line with that view, considering the prison sentence "disproportionate and excessive".
## What remains in place
It is important to know that this pardon does not wipe out the entire conviction. The ban from holding public office for **13 years** and the fine of **36,000 euros** remain in force. The original conviction was based on the irregular awarding of contracts when she headed the **Institució de les Lletres Catalanes (ILC)**, splitting contracts worth a total of **335,700 euros** between **2013 and 2018** to benefit an IT specialist with whom she had a professional relationship. The prosecution had initially requested **six years in prison** and **21 years of disqualification**.
## The pardon that keeps her out of jail
The government has decided to grant a partial pardon to **Laura Borràs**, the former speaker of the Parliament of Catalonia. This means that, despite her conviction, she will not have to go to prison. The prison sentence, initially four years and six months, has been reduced to **two years**. The condition for the pardon to take effect is that **Borràs** must not commit any intentional crime within five years.
## The conviction and its nuances
The original ruling convicted her of administrative misconduct and forgery of official and commercial documents. The High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) handed down the conviction in March 2023. Notably, the TSJC itself had suggested a partial pardon, arguing that the prison sentence for continued forgery could be "excessive" given that no direct personal gain was sought. The **Ministry of Justice** confirmed last July that the granted pardon was in line with that view, considering the prison sentence "disproportionate and excessive".
## What remains in place
It is important to know that this pardon does not wipe out the entire conviction. The ban from holding public office for **13 years** and the fine of **36,000 euros** remain in force. The original conviction was based on the irregular awarding of contracts when she headed the **Institució de les Lletres Catalanes (ILC)**, splitting contracts worth a total of **335,700 euros** between **2013 and 2018** to benefit an IT specialist with whom she had a professional relationship. The prosecution had initially requested **six years in prison** and **21 years of disqualification**.
Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (0 replies).
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