Offence of rebellion in the Spanish criminal law

Abstract

The article presents the offence of rebellion classified in the Spanish Criminal Code (Article 472 SCC of 1995), which has a long history because it was referred to in all former Spanish Criminal Codes (of 1848, 1870 and 1932). The offence consists in public and violent sedition aimed at achieving any of the seven objectives listed in Article 472 SCC, which include fully or partially repealing, suspending or amending the Constitution, and fully or partially stripping the King, the Regent, or members of the Regency of all or part of their prerogatives and powers, or obliging them to execute an act contrary to their will (Article 472 paras 1 and 2 SCC). It also occurs in an aggravated form due to various circumstances, e.g. using weapons, causing havoc or serious violence against persons (Article 473 para. 2 SCC). It breaches the Constitution and harms the fundamental institutions of a democratic state, and undermines the foundations of a state of law. Article 472 SCC protects the constitutional order, thus the rules and constitutional institutions that must be recognised. It is a collective offence. Its subject cannot be a single person but a group of people. The statute does not determine the number of people involved but there must be a number sufficient to achieve their aim. The offence can be committed with specific direct intent, and perpetrators should aim to achieve one of the objectives listed in the statute. Standard as well as aggravated types of the offence are “cascade-like” in nature because and the penalty severity depends on the level of involvement in the rebellion (Article 473 para. 1 SCC).