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Spain judicial body investigating terrorism judge Garzon

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] Spain's General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) on Tuesday said that there will be an investigation into the failure of Judge Baltasar Garzon to report his earnings while on sabbatical in the US. Garzon, famed for indicting Osama bin Laden and former Latin American dictator Augusto Pinochet, took a leave of absence and accepted a teaching position at New York University between 2005 and 2006 but did not report his earnings. According to CGPJ, any Spanish judge taking a leave of absence must report to the judicial oversight committee any salaries that will be received during that time. While there will be no disciplinary hearing, if he is found to be in violation of the rules, Garzon could be fined, suspended, or possibly expelled. In addition to the Pinochet and bin Laden indictments, Garzon is well known for his involvement in high-profile investigations of terror and human rights cases. Last October, he ordered the exhumation of 19 mass graves in Spain, launching an investigation into the disappearances of tens of thousands of people beginning in the Spanish Civil War, and continuing through the early years of the Francisco Franco dictatorship. Garzon has also called for the creation of a "truth commission" to uncover Franco-era abuses.

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on March 10, 2009 (boomark / email).