The Constitutional Court of Spain participated in the XIV "trilateral" meeting organized every year by the Constitutional Courts of Italy, Portugal and Spain and held in Lisbon from 15 to 17 November.
A delegation led by the President of the Constitutional Court, Pascual Sala Sánchez, joined by Magistrates Adela Asua Batarrita and Juan José González Rivas, travelled to Lisbon to participate in this important trilateral meeting which has permitted a productive judicial dialogue on "Extradition, the European arrest warrant and other forms of cooperation in criminal matters", the subject of study chosen for this edition.
This informal discussion forum between the three Courts, which offers an opportunity for an enriching exchange of experiences and reflections, has focused this year on one area, Justice and Home Affairs, which particularly concerns the lives of European citizens and which has undergone significant development within the framework of the European Union and its institutions. During the working sessions, it was highlighted how the necessary efficiency in extradition procedures and in the fight against crime have to be compatible with respect of fundamental rights. The Spanish Constitutional Court recently submitted a preliminary question to the Court of Justice of the European Union, which is awaiting a decision, on this issue.
The previous trilateral meeting was held in Madrid in October 2011 and the next will take place in Rome in autumn 2013.
The Spanish paper "Extradition and Euro-orders as types of International Cooperation. Constitutional Case-Law", was presented by the Magistrate of the Court, Juan José González Rivas.