Baltasar Garz贸n, the Spanish judge who rose to international prominence after ordering the arrest of ex-Chilean general Augusto Pinochet in 1998, told an audience at the Organization of American States (OAS) that "the judiciary can and should embody the endeavor to enforce the law and eradicate impunity."

He was delivering the keynote presentation, entitled "Judicial Power and Impunity," for the 13th conference in the OAS Lecture Series of the Americas, held Tuesday at OAS headquarters.

The Spanish jurist, who was welcomed by OAS Secretary General Jos茅 Miguel Insulza, said impunity is a murky state in which judicial silence is accepted by a country's ruling class. A responsible judicial system must take urgent action when society perceives there are no limits to breaking the law, according to Garz贸n, who said the responsibility of judges is vital to credibility.

Continue reading this press release at the OAS website: Baltasar Garz贸n