Teresa Peramato made her first public appearance in the Spanish Congress in her capacity as the country’s future Attorney General. Speaking before the Justice Commission, she clearly outlined the key areas that will define her tenure. Her main focus is combating violence against women, an issue to which Peramato has dedicated a significant part of her professional career.
In her address, Peramato not only shared her personal vision but also expressed support for a number of reforms initiated by the government. She acknowledged the contributions of her predecessor, emphasizing the importance of continuity and staying on course with system renewal.
Continuity and Reform
Peramato briefly touched on the ongoing criminal proceedings against former Attorney General Álvaro García Ortiz. She called the process painful for the entire system and voiced her intention to restore trust in the prosecutor’s office. Peramato thanked Ortiz for his work, stressing that his efforts would not go unnoticed.
The future head of the office paid particular attention to the process of appointing the Attorney General. In her view, the current model, whereby the government nominates the candidate, fully complies with the Spanish Constitution and the practices of most European countries. She pointed out that a similar approach is used within the structure of the European Prosecutor’s Office.
New Powers and Independence
Peramato supported the reform of the Criminal Procedure Code, which stipulates that prosecutors should lead criminal investigations. She urged parliament to expedite the adoption of these changes to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of the justice system.
Peramato also identified expanding the autonomy of the prosecutor’s office as a top priority. She advocated for a reform of the agency’s Organic Statute, which would protect it from external pressure and gradually ensure its financial independence. According to her, only then can objectivity and impartiality in prosecutors’ work be guaranteed.
Staffing and new challenges
In her speech, Peramato called on the Ministry of Justice to increase the staff of the prosecutor’s office. She noted that the current shortage of personnel hinders effective management of the growing workload. Despite previous steps to expand the team, Peramato considers these measures insufficient to resolve all the issues.
A key element of her program is the fight against violence against women. Peramato stressed that this is a serious violation of human rights that requires decisive action. She cited statistics on murders and other gender-based hate crimes and advocated for labeling such crimes as “femicide.”
Anti-corruption initiatives
Peramato supported the creation of two new specialized prosecutor’s units that will focus on investigating economic crimes and offenses in public administration. She noted that these structures will become an important reinforcement for the existing Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office and will help increase transparency within government institutions.
In closing, Peramato once again emphasized that she would not tolerate any rollback in the fight against gender-based violence. She promised to use all available resources to protect victims and hold perpetrators accountable.
In case you didn’t know, Teresa Peramato is one of the most prominent figures in the Spanish prosecutor’s office, having devoted most of her career to defending women’s rights and combating violence. Her appointment as Attorney General was a logical continuation of her consistent work in this field. Peramato is known for her integrity and support for reforms aimed at strengthening the independence and effectiveness of the prosecution service. Her approach to managing the department has already received praise from many colleagues and legal experts.
