Court suspends lawyer for "disrespecting" judges and colleagues: Prosecutor's Office investigates other complaints

Uruguay's Supreme Court of Justice has suspended lawyer Valentín Yglesias from practicing for one year, citing his disrespectful conduct towards fellow judges and legal professionals. The court found that Yglesias's written submissions contained inappropriate language and accusations against judicial figures.

The ruling stemmed from a written document submitted to the court where Yglesias alleged that certain judges exhibited an "ethical judicial imbalance" and were part of a "private cartel or clique." While the court sanctioned him for these specific expressions, it noted that Yglesias had previously faced similar complaints from the Uruguayan Association of Magistrates and Operators of Family, Childhood, and Adolescent Law.

The case has also drawn the attention of the Public Prosecutor's Office. The aforementioned association filed a criminal complaint, and an independent complaint was lodged by a Family Court judge whom Yglesias had previously accused. Prosecutor Lucía Nogueira is overseeing the preliminary investigation into these matters.

The Supreme Court's resolution, dated May 21, detailed four passages from Yglesias's filings that were deemed offensive. These included accusations of a "private cartel or clique," "ethical judicial imbalance," "misogyny and permeability to corruption," and "parental alienation syndrome." Although Yglesias offered explanations for his statements, he did not retract them. The court concluded that he committed two professional infractions: disrespecting magistrates and using offensive language against colleagues or opposing litigants.