Bill to declare Franco-era courts and their rulings null and void

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The bill would declare illegitimate and null the courts, juries and any other criminal or administrative bodies set up during the Civil War to impose convictions or sanctions for political, ideological or religious reasons, as well as their rulings.
2. It would also declare, in all cases, the illegitimacy and nullity of the Court for the Repression of Freemasonry and Communism, the Public Order Court, the Courts of Political Responsibilities and the Courts Martial set up for those reasons, for violating the right to a fair trial.
3. In addition, it would declare null the convictions and sanctions issued during the Dictatorship against those who defended the previous legal order, sought to restore democracy in Spain, or tried to live according to rights and freedoms now recognized by the Constitution.
4. Within six months of the law's approval, the Government would have to prepare a report on how the Historical Memory Law has been implemented and how victims have used it, to adjust measures to their demands and set up communication channels between authorities, victims and associations. The law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette.

Who it affects

• Victims of Francoism and their families, who would see the convictions and sentences issued by those courts annulled.: Legal reparation: their convictions would no longer be valid.
• People convicted for political, ideological or religious reasons during the Civil War and the Dictatorship.: Their sanctions and rulings would be declared null.
• The Government, which would have to prepare a report within six months on the implementation of the Historical Memory Law.: New duty to report and to open communication channels with victims and associations.
• Victims' associations, which would have communication channels with the competent authorities.: Participation in adjusting reparation measures.

Words worth knowing

Nulidad (nullity)

Something has no legal value at all, as if it had never existed.

Ilegitimidad (illegitimacy)

Something is declared contrary to the law or to justice, even if it is not always annulled.

Consejo de guerra (court martial)

A military court that tried people, mostly civilians, for crimes against the regime.

Proposición de ley (bill)

A text by which a group of lawmakers proposes a new law; it is not yet an approved law.

Ley de Memoria Histórica (Historical Memory Law)

A 2007 law that recognized rights for those who suffered persecution during the civil war and the dictatorship.

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