Rafael de Mendizábal Allende, former magistrate of the Constitutional Court and promoter of the creation of the National Court, has died this Friday in Madrid at the age of 95.
The Commission for Arbitration, Complaints and Deontology of Journalism of the Federation of Associations of Journalists of Spain (FAPE) has reported this Saturday on the death of the person who was president of the organization since 2015.
The jurist's funeral chapel is located in room 7 of the Mortuary of Peace, in Alcobendas (Madrid), and the burial will be tomorrow, Sunday March 12, at 12:30 p.m.
De Mendizábal was born in 1927 in Jaén and received a doctorate and a degree in Law from the Central University of Madrid, as well as a degree in Political Science and Sociology from the Complutense University and an Honorary Doctorate from the Benito Juárez Autonomous University (Oaxaca, Mexico).
In 1977, he promoted the creation of the National Court in full transition as undersecretary in the Ministry of Justice and held numerous positions of responsibility, including as its president.
He was also a magistrate of the Constitutional Court, president of the Chamber of the Supreme Court, ad hoc judge of the European Court of Human Rights, counselor of the Court of Auditors, certified accountant of the same and permanent member of the General Codification Commission.
In addition, he was the author of the road map for the recognition of the Communist Party in 1977, as well as undersecretary of Education and Science, general secretary for the promotion of the Sahara and advisor to the first president and the government of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea.
The jurist, tenured academic of the Royal Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation, has awards such as the Grand Crosses of Isabel la Católica, Civil Merit, San Raimundo de Peñafort, Alfonso X el Sabio, Military Merit and Aeronautical Merit with white distinctive, Cisneros and Malta . Likewise, he has distinctions such as Grand Officer of the Order of Africa, Police Merit Cross with red distinctive, Inter-Allied Cross of Victory 1939-1945 of the International Federation of Allied Ex Service Men and Medal of the Order of Constitutional Merit.
He has also received the 'Africa' National Journalism Award, the National Urbanism Award, the Scévola Award for Quality and Ethics in the practice of Law, and the 2010 'Miguel Moya' Award from the Madrid Press Association for his jurisprudential and doctrinal work in defense of freedom of expression from 1971 to 1975 in room III of the Supreme Court, in numerous congresses and seminars and in the Constitutional Court.
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