# Spanish Supreme Court review of Democratic Memory Law > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/spanish-supreme-court-review-of-democratic-memory-law > Updated: 2026-09-11T11:27:20.000Z. Sources: 46. Developments: 3. The Spanish Supreme Court’s Administrative Litigation Chamber is reviewing the electoral implications of the Democratic Memory Law, commonly known as the ‘grandparents law’. The legal challenge, initiated by the political party Vox and the organization Iustitia Europa, questions whether the Central Electoral Board failed in its duties regarding the granting of Spanish nationality to descendants of exiles. The Court has issued a precautionary ruling to suspend the electoral rights of certain beneficiaries while a final judgment is pending. This decision targets an administrative instruction from the Ministry of Justice that expanded the law’s scope by presuming exile for Spaniards who left the country between 1936 and 1955. The ruling impacts the Census of Absent Residents (CERA) by suspending the voting rights of those already registered and freezing the subsequent electoral registration of individuals currently processing nationality applications. While administrative processing of nationality continues, census registration will be suspended upon completion. A significant exception applies to individuals who can provide consular certification proving they are descendants of Spaniards who suffered exile due to political, ideological, religious, or sexual orientation reasons. In its reasoning, the Court argued that the registration of these citizens poses a ‘founded, real, and serious danger’ that could compromise the objectivity and transparency of the electoral process. The ruling has drawn intense political criticism. While Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused the opposition of attempting to ‘rob the vote’, leaders from Movimiento Sumar have accused the Court of political bias. Verónica Martínez Barbero, leader of Movimiento Sumar, argued that stripping citizens of voting rights is unconstitutional, while Enrique Santiago of IU suggested the Court is overstepping its jurisdiction by suspending the law rather than raising a question of unconstitutionality. ## Claims - The Supreme Court granted precautionary measures to suspend the electoral effects of the 'Grandchildren Law' (Ley de Nietos). (corroborated by 22 sources) - The suspension applies to those already registered in the Census of Absent Residents (CERA) for future elections. (corroborated by 16 sources) - Vox and Iustitia Europa requested the measures to prevent irreversible effects on the electoral census. (corroborated by 15 sources) - The voting suspension does not apply to those who can certify they are descendants of Spaniards who suffered political, ideological, or sexual orientation-based exile. (corroborated by 14 sources) - Nationality applications currently in progress will continue their administrative processing until completion. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The Spanish Government and the State Attorney's Office opposed the suspension, arguing it harms the right to vote. (corroborated by 10 sources) - The Ministry of Justice issued an instruction establishing a general presumption of exile to facilitate naturalization processes. (corroborated by 3 sources) - The CERA census saw an increase of 408,262 voters between the 2023 elections and July 1, 2026. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The suspension applies to those naturalized via the presumption of exile rather than those who directly prove exile requirements. (corroborated by 2 sources) - The Supreme Court is campaigning for the right wing. (corroborated by 2 sources) - Suspending voter registration for thousands of citizens is unconstitutional. (corroborated by 2 sources) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-11: Spanish Supreme Court faces political backlash over voter registration suspension Spanish political leaders from Movimiento Sumar and IU have accused the Supreme Court of political bias after it suspended voter registration updates linked to the 'grandkids law' to protect electoral integrity 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/spanish-supreme-court-faces-political-backlash-over-voter-registration-suspension ### 2026-09-08: Spain Supreme Court suspends voting rights for 'Grandchildren Law' beneficiaries Spain's Supreme Court has suspended the voting rights of many citizens naturalized under the 'Grandchildren Law' as a precautionary measure to protect electoral integrity, sparking political tension. 41 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/spanish-supreme-court-suspends-voting-rights-under-grandchildren-law ### 2026-09-06: Spanish Supreme Court to review 'grandparents law' electoral effects Spain's Supreme Court will review appeals from Vox and Iuistitia Europa regarding the electoral impact of the Democratic Memory Law and the granting of nationality to descendants of exiles. 7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/spanish-supreme-court-to-review-grandparents-law-electoral-effects --- Cite as: Spanish Supreme Court review of Democratic Memory Law. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/spanish-supreme-court-review-of-democratic-memory-law