What it is
Bill would ban pardons for rebellion and sedition
It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 23 May 2019. Introduced by: García Egea, Teodoro y 14 Diputados.
Official title: Private member's bill amending the Law of June 18, 1870, establishing rules for the exercise of the grace of pardon.
Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 123/000001· updated 11 Nov
Automatic summary, not yet reviewed
- The bill would add a new section to Article 2 of the 1870 law, which governs pardons, to exclude from this grace anyone convicted of rebellion or sedition.
- The sponsors justify the change by the age of the 1870 law and by public alarm over the possibility that the Government might pardon people convicted of those crimes, which they call very serious attacks on the unity of Spain.
- The law would be passed under the State's exclusive power over criminal legislation and would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado).
Who it affects
- People convicted of rebellion or sedition: They could not receive a pardon if the bill were passed.
- The Government: It would be barred from granting pardons for those specific crimes.
- Courts: Their sentences for rebellion and sedition could not be changed through a pardon.
Words worth knowing
- Indulto (pardon)
- A Government decision that fully or partly forgives the sentence a court imposed on a person.
- Rebelión (rebellion)
- A serious crime against the State, punished in Articles 472 to 484 of the Criminal Code.
- Sedición (sedition)
- A crime against public order, punished in Articles 544 to 549 of the Criminal Code.
- Proposición de ley (bill)
- A text introduced by members of Congress to become a law. It is not an approved law until the legislative process ends.
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 2 of 7 steps. It reached Admitted, and today it is unfinished.
- Introduced23 May 2019Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
- Admitted5 June 2019The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
- Amendmentsnot reachedGroups propose changes.
- Committeenot reachedA committee goes through the text in detail.
- Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
- Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
- BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 6 official steps on a timeline
Was there a plenary vote?
We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.
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:
- XIV Legislature, Congreso de los Diputados· Withdrawn Private member's bill amending the Law of 18 June 1870 establishing rules for the exercise of the grace of pardon.
- XIV Legislature, Congreso de los Diputados· Rejected Private member's bill to amend the Act of 18 June 1870 establishing rules for the exercise of the grace of pardon.
- XV Legislature, Senate Private member's bill to amend the Act of 18 June 1870 establishing rules for the exercise of the grace of pardon.
Sources
Where does all this come from?
- Congreso de los Diputados, file 123/000001
Official title, type, author, dates and stage.
Retrieved 11 November 2026
- 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.