PODCAST: The amnesty law one year on - A constitutional debate

On June 26, the Spanish Constitutional Court upheld the amnesty law on events related to the Catalan independence push

Members of the Constitutional Court, whose judges upheld the law by 6 votes to 4
Members of the Constitutional Court, whose judges upheld the law by 6 votes to 4 / Miquel Vera
Catalan News

Catalan News | @catalannews | Barcelona

June 30, 2025 07:43 PM

June 30, 2025 07:44 PM

A year after it came into effect, the amnesty law related to Catalonia’s independence push has been upheld by the Spanish Constitutional Court. Whilst the pardon of over 300 activists and officials has eased tensions, the cases of many high-profile leaders are unresolved and its long-term impact remains unclear.

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Head of Catalan News Gerard Escaich Folch joins host Beth Cohen to discuss this controversial piece of legislation, review its implementation and analyze the ongoing debate about its constitutionality.

Professor Josep Lluís Martí from the Faculty of Law at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona explains that, although the Spanish Constitutional Court has upheld the Amnesty Law, there are three key exceptions: the inclusion of those who opposed the Catalan independence process, the application only to acts between November 2011 and November 2023, and the obligation to hear all parties in accounting procedures. Specific cases which involve terrorism and misuse of public funds also remain unresolved.

This week, our Catalan phrase is “El més calent és a l'aigüera” which literally means “The hottest thing is in the sink” and is the equivalent to the English expression “It’s still up in the air”.  It’s often used with frustration or impatience to describe a situation that is far from being concluded, despite appearances or expectations that it should be.

Get in touch with the podcast team: fillingthesink@acn.cat

Listen to more episodes of Filling the Sink below or find out more here.

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