The conservatives of the CGPJ maneuver to bring the direction of the Judicial School to Madrid after the resignation of the previous person in charge

The director of the Judicial School, Jorge Jiménez Martín, resigned from his position a few weeks ago, a resignation that had not been revealed until now, but that has already been unanimously accepted by the permanent commission of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) , the body to which the institution belongs, based in Barcelona, ​​which coordinates the training of new judges. The resignation occurred after the plenary session of the Council, whose mandate expired in December 2018, debated in February an item, which was not on the agenda published by the body, regarding the administrative situation of Jiménez Martín, who occupied the acting position and that, according to some members, did not meet the requirements required by law. Jiménez Martín has anticipated a more than possible dismissal and has left the leadership of the school empty, which, according to legal sources, wants to be taken advantage of by members of the conservative group to appoint a CGPJ lawyer to direct the institution in his place. From Madrid.

The relationship between the CGPJ and Jiménez Martín, who has held the position since July 2018, had been deteriorating in recent months, as confirmed by several legal sources consulted and admitted by the director of the center himself in a conversation with EL PAÍS. Jiménez Martín points out that he has resigned “to protect the school” after verifying that the Council was questioning the legality of his permanence in office, which could end up affecting the operation of the center, due to his dependence on the Council. Once his departure from the institution that coordinates the training and his re-entry into active service as a judge has been formalized, Jiménez Martín has addressed a letter to the Council in which, in an ironic tone, he thanks the members who have accepted his resignation and , between the lines, reproaches them for the treatment given to the school in recent years.

“I was nervous waiting to receive the agreement, since it was a proposal from the Judicial School, it would be removed from the agenda, or it would have a 4-3, or 3-3-1 approval. Those very polarized alignments of these times that never bring anything good for public service. Surprisingly, I received unanimity,” says the letter, to which this newspaper has had access. The former director warns that, despite the fact that he has held the position in office, this has been “the time of most stability in the School and the longest duration of a director”, and after thanking the work and support of the workers and students of the center, says goodbye with another message for the governing body of the judges. “I trust that we will continue working to improve our justice and our Council, because I am and will continue here. We will continue to stay in touch and continue fighting battles. The power of love must overcome the love of power,” states the text of the former head of the School, who sent this letter on March 22, two days after the Permanent Commission approved his request to re-enter his position as head of the School. Juvenile Court 6 of Barcelona.

The departure of Jiménez Martín leaves the Judicial School, an essential center for the Judiciary, beheaded because it is where all the new judges who pass the opposition are trained for a year (plus another year of internship). It was inaugurated in 1997 and its main headquarters were located in Barcelona, ​​but there have always been some legal sectors that have wanted it to be in Madrid. This transfer would require a legal reform and is not in the hands of the members of the CGPJ, but sources consulted indicate that the possibility of directing the school now remotely from the capital is on the table, taking advantage of the resignation of Jiménez Martín and that this option It is preferred by some members of the conservative sector.

The Council has to appoint an acting director and the sources consulted indicate that the majority of the councilors proposed by the PP opt for María Jesús Millán, director of continuing training at CGPJ, a position based in Madrid and whose appointment would be made, according to the sources, with the intention that it does not change the destination city. Another group of members, a minority, considers that the chosen one should be Clara Carulla because she is the number two at the school and she has her position in Barcelona. The opposing positions between the members have opened a new crisis in the plenary session of the governing body of the judges.

Jiménez Martín – who is currently not a member of any judicial association but was, until 2011, of the conservative and majority Professional Association of the Judiciary – became the director of the Judicial School in July 2018, after the resignation of Gema Espinosa, the former director and wife of the instructor of the cause of processes in the Supreme Court, Judge Pablo Llarena. Until then, he was director of the Initial Training Service of the Judiciary, in which he was a lawyer, a technical position that is appointed by the Council based on merit and in which one can remain for a maximum of 10 years. His appointment as director was made “acting” and “while the aforementioned position is vacant”, according to the agreement of the Permanent Commission of July 19, 2018. The interim period was lengthened because the Council itself came into office in December that year and, pending a renewal, it was initially thought that it would be the next CGPJ that would elect the new heads of the Judicial School.

The “acting” directorate was extended until, in March 2021, Congress approved the legal reform that vetoes the CGPJ from discretionary appointments while it is, as now, with its mandate expired, which prevents the appointment of a new director of the Judicial School and consolidated the interim position of Jiménez Martín. Legal sources indicate that the relationship between the CGPJ and the until now director of the School deteriorated after the departure of the presidency of Carlos Lesmes, which left the conservative sector in the hands of a group of members who seek absolute control of all bodies. of the Council and that they wanted to remove the person in charge of the center where judges are trained. According to these sources, these counselors have put obstacles in recent months to all the projects or training plans presented by the school director, which has increased tension between both institutions.

The sources consulted agree that the situation of the director until now was complicated to solve in his favor because he has been in the position of lawyer since 2011 and the Organic Law of the Judiciary (LOPJ) establishes that you can only remain there for a maximum of 10. This was the argument that the vocal supporters of his dismissal clung to during the plenary session in February. The councilors analyzed the situation in which Jiménez Martín found himself, and, given the legal doubts, they agreed to commission a report from the technical office. Subsequently, a group of conservative councilors tried to force the convening of an extraordinary plenary session to vote on the dismissal of the school director, an initiative that was stopped, but which was definitive so that Jiménez Marín chose to step aside.

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