The case of his ex-girlfriend against Juan Carlos I before an English court

Juan Carlos

© EFE

The defense of King Honorary Juan Carlos I asserted that the Honorary King enjoyed immunity and that the British judiciary should not rule in this case.

Corinna Larcin, former girlfriend of Juan Carlos, filed a lawsuit with the court for damages from the honorary king. She incurred the costs of her medical and psychological treatment, to implement “personal security measures and daily protection” and to hire “former diplomats and former government officials” who intervened “to end the harassment” of Juan Carlos. First. Larsen, these alleged harassment undermined her safety and that of her children. She cites the €65 million she is said to have received from Juan Carlos, which came from a gift from the late King of Saudi Arabia. According to Larsen, this wealth could have ended up in a Swiss account linked to a corporation with tax benefits in Panama from which Juan Carlos I would benefit.

What does Juan Carlos’s defense defend?

The former king’s defense also put forward the arguments in a 26-page text, denying all of Larsen’s allegations. The lawyer also insisted that the Spanish Supreme Court is the competent authority to hear any cases related to events related to the king after his abdication.

Three Immunity Issues

According to the attorney, “there are at least three related immunity cases” in this case. During the preliminary hearing, he defended the fact that Juan Carlos I is a member of the royal family and invoked the United Kingdom’s 1978 State Immunity Act, whose effect applies to the king and his family members who are part of the royal house.

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According to the defense, this case applies to the titular monarch, who, “as a high-ranking member of the Spanish royal family and the Spanish royal family, is entitled to immunity from the jurisdiction of the British courts, including in relation to the matters referred to herein.” Claims in Proceeding .

The lawyer further explained that this immunity “does not place His Majesty above the law”, but rather “recognizes that, in view of the constitutional nature of His Majesty’s Office, it is duly subject to the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court of Spain and only the Supreme Court of Spain”.

The defense added that “it is not in the public interest of the United Kingdom and its courts to try the accusations against His Majesty, and it cannot be.”

Constitutional recognition of kingdoms

As part of his defense strategy, the attorney also said it was in the public interest to “protect the dignity of the King and his immediate family.” In this regard, he referred to the case law of British courts and noted that the British judiciary “expressly admitted this” in the case of Queen Elizabeth II and close members of the British royal family.

He stressed that this “constitutional recognition” applicable to the British royal family had been recognized by the United Kingdom for centuries in relation to monarchs and members of royal families in other kingdoms.

“It is the cornerstone of the principle of sovereign immunity,” he said, adding that in the case of Spain, that appreciation is reflected in a more than 400-year-old betrothal treaty signed by Queen Elizabeth II’s predecessors in 1713. And Juan Carlos signed the Treaty of Utrecht.

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Where does Juan Carlos celebrate Christmas?

The case of the former king is also being investigated in Spain. Juan Carlos had hoped his suspected status would be over shortly before Christmas, but the prosecution decided to extend its investigation for another six months. I did this because some international documents have not yet been studied. It has been known for months that the honorary king would like to return to Madrid to celebrate the holidays with his family. It remains to be seen if that will happen.

The Spanish government is silent and does not respond to a possible return. Regional Policy Minister and Government Spokesperson Isabel Rodriguez has confined herself to praising the “transparency” and “proper conduct” of the royal house during the reign of Juan Carlos’ son, King Felipe VI. Despite repeated requests, she did not provide more than this. In any case, the decision would be made by Philip VI, in consultation with the government.

A year ago, Pedro Sanchez spoke of a “road map for the modernization” of the monarchy, noting that Philip VI was “ready” to implement the project. “However, economic recovery is now a priority,” Rodriguez concluded.

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