The two contenders for the presidency of Euskadi's highest judicial body, the High Court of Justice, Iñaki Subijana and Aner Uriarte, have appeared before the General Council of the Judiciary. This body will be responsible for selecting the next president after hearing their presentations.
Subijana, the current president, is seeking re-election. In his brief ten-minute address, he reviewed his professional background and highlighted key achievements during his tenure. Among these, he mentioned the creation of a group of deans and chamber presidents to address complaints and discuss issues such as media access to courtrooms.
During his term, he has managed significant changes in justice, including digitalization and the transition to instance courts. Subijana advocated for restorative justice and emphasized the importance of making it more accessible for vulnerable groups. He also praised the promotion of early evidence in cases of sexual violence against minors and improved support for victims of gender violence.
“"Public service is the ultimate foundation of the authority we exercise as judges and, therefore, all governmental management must revolve around it."
Meanwhile, Aner Uriarte, the dean of judges in Bilbao since 2014, focused on the essential role of public service in judicial work. He believes it is crucial to improve the quality and timeliness of resolutions within an appropriate working environment. According to his experience, the main concern for judges is the heavy workload and the difficulty in finding replacements when a colleague falls ill.
Uriarte stated that, as president, he would transparently defend colleagues when they face public criticism. He also proposed offering "friendly spaces for the vulnerable" in their access to justice and advocated for the governing chamber to resolve conflicts arising in the daily work of instance courts, which, in his view, have "separated judges from the processing of procedures."
