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What it is

Bill proposes repealing life imprisonment with review from the Penal Code

Committee step 4 of 7 · Unfinished

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 7 September 2016. Introduced by: Grupo Parlamentario Vasco (EAJ-PNV).

Official title: Private member's bill amending Organic Law 10/1995 of 23 November, the Penal Code.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 122/000020· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The bill, introduced by the Basque Group in Congress (EAJ-PNV), seeks to remove reviewable life imprisonment from the Penal Code. Its authors see it as disguised life imprisonment, contrary to the Constitution and to the mandate that sentences aim at social reintegration.
  2. The bill would repeal several Penal Code provisions governing reviewable life imprisonment, such as Article 140 and Article 78 bis, and would adjust the rules for classifying convicted prisoners.
  3. Instead of life imprisonment, it proposes fixed prison terms for very serious crimes, such as killing the King (30 to 35 years) or the head of a foreign state (20 to 25 years).
  4. If passed, the law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado).

Who it affects

  • People convicted of very serious crimes: They could no longer be sentenced to reviewable life imprisonment; fixed prison terms would apply.
  • Judges and courts: They would apply the new sentences and prisoner classification rules the bill proposes.
  • Victims and their families: Serious crimes would carry specific maximum prison terms instead of life imprisonment.

Words worth knowing

Prisión permanente revisable
A prison sentence with no fixed end that can only be reviewed after many years; the bill calls it disguised life imprisonment.
Proposición de Ley Orgánica
A bill proposing to change an organic law, such as the Penal Code, which still must be debated and passed by Congress.
Reinserción social
The idea that sentences should prepare people to return to society, not just punish them.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 4 of 7 steps. It reached Committee, and today it is unfinished.

  1. Introduced7 September 2016Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted12 September 2016The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendments20 October 2017Groups propose changes.
  4. Committee6 March 2018A committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 11 official steps on a timeline
Sept 2016Dec 2016Mar 2017Jun 2017Sept 2017Dec 2017Mar 2018Jun 2018Sept 2018Dec 201811. 7 September 2016: Presentación22. 12 September 2016: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 12/09/2016 hasta 16/09/201633. 12 September 2016: Calificación44. 16 September 2016: Gobierno Contestación desde 16/09/2016 hasta 24/10/201655. 24 October 2016: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 24/10/2016 hasta 10/10/201766. 10 October 2017: Mesa del Congreso Acuerdo subsiguiente a la toma en consideración desde 10/10/2017 hasta 17/10/201777. 17 October 2017: Comisión de Justicia Publicación desde 17/10/2017 hasta 20/10/201788. 20 October 2017: Comisión de Justicia Enmiendas desde 20/10/2017 hasta 05/03/201999. 28 February 2018: Comisión de Justicia Mesa - Calificación desde 28/02/2018 hasta 06/03/20181010. 6 March 2018: Comisión de Justicia Debate de totalidad desde 06/03/2018 hasta 15/03/20181111. 5 March 2019: Concluido - (Caducado) desde 05/03/2019 hasta 27/03/2019

15 March 2018

How did the plenary vote?

More votes against 167 yes · 178 no · 1 abst.

Voted on: Amendment to reject with alternative text to the Private member's bill for the reform of Organic Law 10/1995, of November 23, of the Penal Code, submitted by the Popular in the Congress Parliamentary Group.

This law had 3 votes; this is the latest with every deputy’s vote. See them all

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, vote 4 of sitting 105· updated 10 Nov

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Your province

How did the deputies from your province vote?

And your senators: the Senate does not link its votes to this law in its open data, so we cannot put them side by side here.

Or see how most of each province voted
More details: how each group and each province voted

The groups

Who voted in favour and who against?

In favour, most of Ciudadanos and Popular en el Congreso. Against, most of Socialista, Vasco (EAJ-PNV), Mixto, Gcup-ec-em and GER. 4 deputies voted differently from their group.

By province: in 23 most voted in favour; in 14, against.

Coloured by how most of each province’s deputies voted.

  • In favour: 23
  • Against: 14
  • Tie: 15
Result by parliamentary group
GroupSeatsHow it voted
Socialista84
84 against
Vasco (EAJ-PNV)5
5 against
Mixto19
3 in favour · 13 against · 1 abst. · 2 did not vote
Ciudadanos32
32 in favour
Gcup-ec-em67
67 against
GER9
9 against
Popular en el Congreso134
132 in favour · 2 did not vote

What happens next

What happens now?

The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.

It was presented again:

Presented before in:

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
  • Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
  • We only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

Read the full method · Report an error