Finance
Spain's chief prosecutor quits after leak verdict
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 24, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Spain's chief prosecutor resigns after a Supreme Court verdict on a confidential leak, impacting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government. Appeals may follow.
MADRID (Reuters) -Spain's chief prosecutor said on Monday he was resigning after the Supreme Court last week found him guilty of leaking confidential information in a case involving a leading opposition figure's partner.
The unprecedented case is a blow to the leftist coalition government of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who appointed Alvaro Garcia Ortiz in 2022 and has repeatedly defended his innocence.
In a letter seen by Reuters, Garcia Ortiz said his decision to step down, before the sentence banning him from his post for two years, came from "profound respect" for judicial rulings.
"Though my decision stems directly from the ruling, I'm convinced that I've faithfully served the institution to which I am honoured to belong, with an unequivocal vocation for public service, a sense of duty and institutional loyalty," read the letter to Justice Minister Felix Bolaños.
His departure was widely expected even as the Supreme Court has yet to give its rationale for the verdict and Garcia Ortiz may still appeal it before Spain's Constitutional Court and ultimately the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"We respect the court's decision but do not agree with it," government spokesperson Pilar Alegria told state broadcaster TVE after Garcia Ortiz's resignation, adding the lack of unanimity and notifying the verdict without a full ruling set a worrying precedent and had generated "stupefaction" among the public.
(Reporting by David Latona; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
A chief prosecutor is the head of a prosecuting authority, responsible for overseeing legal proceedings against individuals or entities accused of crimes. They ensure that justice is served and legal standards are upheld.
The Supreme Court is the highest judicial court in a country or state, with the authority to make final decisions on legal disputes and interpret laws. Its rulings set precedents for lower courts.
A judicial ruling is a decision made by a court regarding a legal matter. It can determine the outcome of a case and may establish legal precedents for future cases.
Institutional loyalty refers to the commitment and allegiance an individual has towards an organization or institution. It often involves prioritizing the institution's values and goals over personal interests.
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