Briefing
On 14 September 2026, Félix Bolaños, Minister for the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, sharply criticised the Consejo General del Poder Judicial (CGPJ). According to several Spanish media outlets, Bolaños accused the judicial council of failing to sanction investigating judge Juan Carlos Peinado adequately, thereby showing a “corporativismo” that damages the reputation of the judiciary. The remarks are part of a dispute between the government and sections of the judicial system that has been going on for months.
The background is the minister’s complaints about procedural actions by Peinado in the investigation he is conducting into Begoña Gómez. The CGPJ had already examined various submissions concerning Peinado in summer 2026; on 28 July 2026, the competent Disciplinary Commission partly opened proceedings and referred certain aspects to the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Madrid , while other allegations were set aside or not pursued. These procedural steps are documented and provide the verifiable context for the latest criticism.
In its statements, the judicial council repeatedly stresses judges’ institutional independence and their obligation to follow legally regulated disciplinary procedures. At the same time, legal associations and opposition parties have often called on political figures to exercise restraint when commenting on ongoing proceedings. In previous public statements, Bolaños had himself stressed the possibility of disciplinary measures against judges and repeatedly referred to what he sees as existing “corporativismo”.
This account is based on official statements by the CGPJ and reports from established news agencies and broadcasters. It corrects earlier, unconfirmed reports by giving the date, context and documented procedural steps. The current public dispute therefore concerns the balance between political criticism and the constitutionally guaranteed independence of the judiciary, as well as which disciplinary measures are available to the CGPJ and how they are applied.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).