On Monday, King Felipe of Spain presided over the opening of the 2021-2022 Judicial Year.
Despite the judicial power being completely separated from the Crown/Head of State power, as well as the political power in the Parliament, King Felipe is invited to preside this symbolic act every year – a presence established in the Judicial Power Law.
His Majesty arrived at the Justice Palace, where the Supreme Tribunal (the equivalent of a Supreme Court) has its headquarters, accompanied by the President of the Supreme Tribunal and of the General Council for the Judicial Power, Carlos Lesmes.
The King then took his place in the Salon del Pleno (which, literally, means the Hall or Ballroom for the Full Assembly) dressed in the judicial robe and the Justice Grand Collar – he was seated between Carlos Lesmes and the Minister for Justice, Pilar Llop.
His Majesty opened the session, then introduced the Secretary of the Government Room Ángel Tomás Ruano, the General Fiscal of the State Dolores Delgado, and the President of the Supreme Tribunal and of the General Council of the Judicial Power Carlos Lesmes. After that, he declared the 2021-2022 Judicial Year opened and closed the session.
To conclude the event, His Majesty held a meeting with the people participating in the event.
This event is held so that the judicial power can present their information for the past year and their intentions for the year to come; specifically, the President of the Supreme Tribunal and the General Council of the Judicial Power presents the Annual Memorial on the State, Functioning and Activities of the Juries and Tribunals of Justice. And the General Fiscal (the person responsible for the country’s finances) reads the annual memorial on the activity, evolution of criminality, crime prevention and the appropriate reforms for better efficacy of the judicial system.
King Felipe has presided over this ceremony every year since his inauguration in 2014 and, despite his strong ties to the formal aspect of the judicial power, has always stated and underlined the separation of powers and the independence of the judicial system from the Crown.
