Isabel Perelho, First Woman to Head the Supreme Court of Spain
Isabel Perello was selected as Spain’s top judge on Tuesday, becoming the country’s first female Supreme Court president and breaking a years-long standoff.
Judge Perello, 66, was voted president of the Supreme Court and the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), a judicial watchdog in charge of appointing judges and ensuring the independence of the judiciary, according to a statement from the council.
Perello, labeled as a progressive by Spanish media, gained support from 16 of the council’s 20 members, according to the report.
She is the first woman to oversee Spain’s Supreme Court since its founding in 1812, as well as the CGPT, according to the announcement.
The council’s mandate expired in December 2018, and it has been operating on an interim basis since then due to disagreements between Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s ruling Socialists and the main opposition Popular Party (PP) over its composition.
The standoff has exacerbated problems with the functioning of the Spanish judicial system, with over 100 vacancies for judges, prompting multiple rebukes from Brussels as well as a failed attempt to mediate the conflict.
Perello’s nomination was made possible by the recent agreement between the Socialists and the PP to renew the 20 members of the CGPT.
Sanchez expressed his “sincere congratulations” to Perello for becoming the first woman to preside over the Supreme Court and the CGPJ “in the history of our country” in a message posted on X.
“Equality is the backbone of democracy. “Today, Spain has regained institutional normality,” he added.
Perello, a judge from Catalonia’s northeastern region who has served since 1985, will be sworn in on Wednesday(today).
