Spain's CGPJ opens disciplinary case against judge Peinado after Perelló's casting vote

Spain's CGPJ opens disciplinary case against judge Peinado after Perelló's casting vote

The Permanent Commission of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ, Spain's governing body for judges) has agreed to open disciplinary proceedings against judge Peinado, in a vote decided by the casting vote of its chairwoman, Isabel Perelló. The decision, which divides the judges' governing body, has sparked a political and judicial storm that goes beyond the disciplinary realm.

The vote that broke the tie

According to sources close to the CGPJ, the panel recorded a technical tie that was broken by Perelló's casting vote. She took over the presidency of the CGPJ and the Supreme Court as its first woman, with an openly pogre profile. The decision to open proceedings against judge Peinado, who handles sensitive cases linked to the Government, has been interpreted by conservative sectors as an act of political control over the judiciary. The PP, through its spokespeople, has already denounced "an authoritarian drift" and the capture of institutions.

The reactions: between defending justice and suspicion of bias

Those who support opening the proceedings stress that the CGPJ is acting within its remit to guarantee judicial impartiality. Critics, however, see the move as an attempt to silence a judge investigating senior officials of the Executive. The debate has antiestéticatured mutual accusations, ranging from talk of "dirty tricks units" to invocations of the principle of equality before the law. The overlap with other cases — such as the DANA judge, whose husband allegedly questioned witnesses — has fuelled the perception of a double standard.

Where is the CGPJ heading?

Under Perelló's leadership, the CGPJ is on a path of growing politicisation that, far from calming the institutional crisis, intensifies it. The proceedings against judge Peinado are not an isolated event, but a symptom of the tension between the judiciary and the Executive. Whether the sanction will go ahead remains unknown, but the damage to the perception of judicial independence has already been done. As is often the case in these matters, only time will tell whether it was an act of housecleaning or of revenge.