The Plenary of the Andalusian Parliament has approved the Law establishing the Official College of Criminology of Andalusia, a regulation that responds to a historical demand from the collective of criminologists in the community, which includes more than 3,500 professionals. «Thanks to those who have been working in silence, which you did not deserve, and which will now allow you to be visible, work for the benefit of Andalusian society, and dignify a profession that is becoming increasingly powerful,» highlighted the Minister of Justice, Local Administration, and Public Function, José Antonio Nieto, who defended the text of the law.
With this approval, Andalusia becomes the seventh autonomous community to establish a professional college to organize, represent, and defend the interests of those practicing criminology, «a discipline that is increasingly consolidated and essential» in crime prevention and analysis, as well as in interventions with victims and offenders. Nieto thanked all political groups for their support for this law and, especially, for their «efforts» to the Andalusian Criminology Association (AndaCrim), whose president, Laura Pascual, and a group of representatives attended the Plenary session.
The new law arises from the request of AndaCrim, which submitted the application with the support of more than 260 professionals in the sector and that «thanks to the fourth Administrative Simplification Decree of the Junta, bureaucratic obstacles have been eliminated, facilitating the creation of this College». It is the first professional college created in Andalusia under the Government of Juanma Moreno, and following this decree, others such as those for detectives or pedagogues will follow.
Currently, in Andalusia, more than 3,500 people hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Criminology, and each year public universities in Andalusia offer around 600 places in this field, which «is providing great value to professionals.» «Now you will have a tool that will help improve society, but will also dignify the profession and further elevate its quality standards.»
During the parliamentary debate, the Minister of Justice, Local Administration, and Public Function, whose Ministry promoted this new regulation, emphasized that «this law not only responds to a long-standing professional need, but also guarantees greater quality and ethical control in the exercise of a profession with a significant social impact».
Furthermore, he highlighted that the establishment of the College will allow for direct communication between the collective and public administrations, while also strengthening the protection of consumers and users of the services provided by these professionals.
The law includes voluntary membership, and all those who can prove possession of an official Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Criminology, or its equivalent foreign degree recognized, can join the new body.
Once the law is published, the Ministry will appoint a management committee composed of five members proposed by AndaCrim, which will have six months to draft the provisional statutes of the College. These statutes will regulate its internal functioning, the membership process, and the election process to establish the definitive governing bodies. Subsequently, the statutes will be sent to the Ministry for legal validation and publication in the Official Gazette of the Junta de Andalucía (BOJA).
With this initiative, the Andalusian Government reinforces its commitment to the modernization and professionalization of key sectors, and fulfills its objective of promoting the creation of professional corporations that safeguard the public interest, quality service provision, and the defense of Andalusian professionals.
