Overview

• The Supreme Court rejected the civil suit brought by former Central Instruction Court No 6 judge Manuel García Castellón against Podemos leader Ione Belarra for alleged defamation.
• Justices ruled that her X posts labelling García Castellón a “corrupt judge” and accusing him of waging a “dirty judicial war” were personal opinions outside the scope of her parliamentary functions.
• In its decision, the court emphasized that it only has jurisdiction over statements made in an official capacity by deputies and senators.
• The ruling cites binding precedents from the Supreme Court’s own jurisprudence as well as judgments from the Constitutional Court, the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the EU.
• García Castellón retains the option to pursue a defamation claim in Spain’s ordinary courts in Plaza de Castilla.