The cabinet members have demanded the recusal of judges Marchena, Lamela and other Supreme Court justices for lack of impartiality in the context of the new cases.

The Minister for Foreign Action & European Union Meritxell Serret, and Minister of Education Anna Simó have requested the recusal of four Supreme Court justices: the presiding judge of the Chamber Manuel Marchena, and judges Carmen Lamela, Andrés Martínez Arrieta and Antonio del Moral. Ms Serret has also requested the recusal of judge Leopoldo Puente Segura.

The ministers accuse them of lack of impartiality in the six “prior judicial proceedings”. The aim is thus that Marchena, Lamela and the other judges be removed from the proceedings regarding application of amnesty in their six cases.

The high court has now suspended deliberation on the application of the Amnesty Act for both, pending a resolution on the challenge.

The suspension of the deliberation affects the head of foreign action in regard of her 1st October referendum case, as a member of the executive at the time, when she was the Minister of Agriculture, Industry and Fisheries. This will also affect the minister of Education in the case against the 2017 Board of the Catalan Parliament, presided at the time by Carme Forcadell, and the rest of the members, Lluís Corominas, Lluís Guió and Ramona Barrufet. The sentence in all their cases was for the crime of disobedience.

The ministers are aware that there is a part of the judiciary that will do anything in order not to apply the law, and they warned of the fact that some courts may use any mechanism available to them to delay proceedings. However, Esquerra remains adamant that the law is robust and will pass all constitutional and European legal review.