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What it is

Proposal to remove reviewable life imprisonment from the Criminal Code

Admitted step 2 of 7 · Withdrawn

It is a members’ bill. Introduced by parliamentary groups, the Senate, regional governments or citizens. It was introduced on 18 November 2022. 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 122/000272· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. The bill, introduced by the Basque Group in Congress (EAJ-PNV), would remove reviewable life imprisonment from the Criminal Code. Its authors consider it unconstitutional because it attacks human dignity, can amount to inhuman punishment, and fails the constitutional mandate that sentences aim at social reintegration.
  2. Several provisions of the Criminal Code that regulate this penalty and its effects would be repealed: the provision listing it among serious penalties, the rules on serving and reviewing it, and the article establishing it for aggravated homicide.
  3. The penalties for several serious crimes that can currently carry reviewable life imprisonment would be adjusted. For example, killing the King would carry 30 to 35 years in prison, and killing a foreign Head of State in Spain, 20 to 25 years.
  4. The law would take effect the day after its publication in the Official State Gazette, if it is passed.

Who it affects

  • People convicted of very serious crimes: They could no longer be sentenced to reviewable life imprisonment; maximum sentences would become prison terms of limited length.
  • Victims and families of crimes such as terrorist murders or attacks against the Crown: The maximum penalties that can be imposed on those responsible would be reduced.
  • Judges and courts: They would no longer be able to impose reviewable life imprisonment and would apply the new penalties provided.

Words worth knowing

Prisión permanente revisable (reviewable life imprisonment)
A prison sentence with no fixed end date, reviewed after a minimum period, but which can be kept for life if the inmate is not considered reintegrated.
Cadena perpetua (life imprisonment)
A prison sentence for life, with no planned release date.
Reinserción social (social reintegration)
The idea that prison should prepare people to return to society, not just punish them.
Proposición de ley orgánica (organic law bill)
A text proposing to change a major law, such as the Criminal Code, which has not yet been passed.

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 withdrawn.

  1. Introduced18 November 2022Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted21 November 2022The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendmentsnot reachedGroups propose changes.
  4. Committeenot reachedA 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 5 official steps on a timeline
Nov 2022Dec 2022Jan 2023Feb 202311. 18 November 2022: Presentación22. 21 November 2022: Boletín Oficial de las Cortes Generales Publicación desde 21/11/2022 hasta 25/11/202233. 21 November 2022: Calificación44. 22 November 2022: Pleno Toma en consideración desde 22/11/2022 hasta 07/03/202355. 7 March 2023: Concluido - (Retirado) desde 07/03/2023 hasta 10/03/2023

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?

Whoever introduced it withdrew it, or it was merged into another one. It goes no further.

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.

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