Gobierno en funciones y despacho ordinario de los asuntos públicos (las SSTS de 20 de septiembre y 2 de diciembre de 2005)

Abstract

In this papers, the authors analyze two recent rulings of the Spanish Supreme Court about the performance of the outgoing and acting Government after the elections of March of 2004, rulings which were focused in the legitimacy and scope of competences of an acting Government. In the former ruling, the Supreme Court (Sixth Section of the Administrative Litigation Chamber) quashes the Government’s decision of granting the extradition of a British citizen to the Italian authorities, on the understanding that this resolution exceeded clearly of the «ordinary conduct of the public matters», which would be one of the criteria used by the Act on Government (1997) in order to confine the lawful performance of an acting Government. The latter ruling of Supreme Court (Administrative Litigation Chamber, in full session), justly based upon the opposite consideration, rejected the appeal against other 482 JOAQUIN BRAGE CAMAZANO Y FERNANDO REVIRIEGO PICON 63 JELLINEK, W., Gesetz, Gesetzesandwendung und Zweckmassigkeiteserwagungen, Scientia Verlag Aalen, 1964, pp. 37 y ss. 64 Se sirve de esta expresion, en la doctrina italiana, L. ELIA, apuntando la dificultad de admitir la mpugnacion de la validez de los actos de un Gobierno dimisionario ante la autoridad judicial ordinaria o ante los organos de la justicia administrativa, «Amministrazione ordinaria degli organi costituzionale», Enciclopedia del Diritto, (II), Giuffre, Milano, 1958. resolution of that acting Government, the denial of a reprieve petition, understanding that this acting Government`s decision fitted well in the legal standard «ordinary conduct of public affairs». In this second sentence, the Chamber establishes a doctrine which is absolutely contrary to the one of the first ruling, passed only some months before by the Sixth Section, overruling it. In the light of this crossroad, the authors of this paper examine the legal grounds of both rulings, as well as the dissenting and partly concurring opinions issued by some Justices to the ruling passed by the abovementioned Chamber in full session. GOBIERNO EN FUNCIONES Y DESPACHO ORDINARIO DE LOS ASUNTOS PUBLICOS... 483