Spanish Constitutional Court rapporteur backs Supreme Court rejection of amnesty for Catalan leaders

Rapporteur backs Supreme Court ruling

Spanish Constitutional Court magistrate José María Macías has distributed a draft ruling endorsing the Supreme Court's refusal to grant amnesty to Catalan pro-independence leaders for embezzlement. The draft responds specifically to the amparo appeal filed by Jordi Turull, the secretary general of Junts per Catalunya, who challenged the Supreme Court Second Chamber's decision to maintain his ban from holding public office. Macías distributed his text to the other eleven members of the plenary on 12 September 2026. The draft concludes that the Supreme Court acted within its standard judicial discretion rather than violating constitutional rights.

Macías rejected Turull's claims that the penal chamber acted arbitrarily or distorted the statutory text of the amnesty legislation.

The interpretation carried out by the Second Chamber of the Supreme Court cannot be described as surprising or unpredictable, and much less as capricious or the result of alleged animosity toward the appellant, but conforms to existing doctrine on the penal elements of embezzlement.

Arguments on personal enrichment and European funds

In his legal reasoning, Macías adopted the Supreme Court's definition of personal enrichment, asserting that politicians who used public money to finance the 2017 referendum avoided personal expenses. He argued that citizens who supported the secessionist initiative through private donations saw their personal assets reduced, whereas public officials preserved their private wealth by diverting state funds. According to the draft, preventing a reduction in personal wealth constitutes an economic gain that falls outside the scope of the amnesty law.

Macías explained this distinction directly in the text of his draft.

Enrichment cannot be limited to an increase in assets, but also includes preventing their diminution by charging personal expenses to the public treasury.

Macías also addressed recent rulings from the Court of Justice of the European Union regarding European funds. Because the European court had not issued its decision when the Supreme Court ruled on the case, Macías argued that subsequent European pronouncements cannot retrospectively invalidate the Supreme Court's reasoning.

Expected rejection by progressive majority

The twelve-member Constitutional Court is scheduled to debate the draft proposal during its plenary session on 22 September 2026. The tribunal currently holds a progressive majority led by Constitutional Court President Cándido Conde-Pumpido, which favours applying the amnesty to the embezzlement convictions. The majority is expected to vote against Macías' draft. If the plenary rejects the text, the case will be reassigned to another magistrate to draft a new ruling granting Turull's appeal.

A rejection on 22 September 2026 will push the final decision into the following plenary session, which begins on 6 October 2026.

Ramifications for Puigdemont and arrest warrants

Although Turull's amparo appeal is the first to be addressed, the doctrine established by the Constitutional Court will set the precedent for all pending embezzlement appeals tied to the 2017 independence drive. The outcome will directly affect former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont, as well as convicted former officials Oriol Junqueras, Dolors Bassa, and Raül Romeva. Supreme Court investigating judge Pablo Llarena has indicated he will apply the Constitutional Court's doctrine to Puigdemont without waiting for the separate resolution of Puigdemont's individual appeal.

A final ruling overturning the Supreme Court's stance would allow Llarena to withdraw the active domestic arrest warrant that currently prevents Puigdemont from returning to Spain.