On 4 February 2020, the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) informed Human Rights in Practice (HRiP) that the case lodged against Spain on behalf of former judge of the Spanish National Court, Baltasar Garzón, has been found admissible. Despite the state’s attempt to have the case dismissed and avoid proceeding to the merits stage, the Committee has given the Spanish government six months to address the allegations at the heart of this case - concerning the lack of fair trial (Article 14 ICCPR) and the unforeseeable application of criminal law (principle of legality, Article 15). The decision is a step towards addressing the notorious violation of judicial independence arising from the criminal investigation, prosecution and suspension of a judge for his interpretations of the law. See our short press statements on this decision in English and Spanish. Background information is available here.