The Mediterraño Foundation Honors Legal Scholarship and Fundamental Rights
Vicente Magro, a Supreme Court judge and former president of the Court of Alicante, received the inaugural prize in the field of law, awarded by the Mediterráneo Foundation in memory of the jurist from Alicante for his work on illegal evidence in criminal cases. The honor recognizes rigorous analysis and original research that advances understanding of how unlawful evidence should be treated in criminal proceedings.
Presiding over the jury was jurist and former president of the Constitutional Court Pascual Sala, who granted a Special Mention to Antonio Serrano Acitores for a pioneering study on Artificial Intelligence in healthcare. This acknowledgment highlights the growing intersection between technology and patient rights in modern medical settings.
The Mediterráneo Foundation, in memory of Professor Gimeno Sendra, a former patron and renowned authority in procedural law who guided the organization until his death in November 2020, announced the award for works on fundamental rights for the first time last year. More than twenty people entered, with ten advancing to the final stage. The prize carries 9,000 euros for the winner and publication by Aranzadi Publishing House, underscoring its mission to recognize Spanish-language legal scholarship with original, impactful research on fundamental rights.
To fulfill this goal, the Mediterráneo Foundation assembled a panel chaired by Sala. Victoria Ortega, President of the General Council of the Legal Profession; Luis María Cazorla, jurist, academic and writer; Yolanda Gómez, professor at UNED; Juan Carlos López Coig, Supreme Court Prosecutor; and José María Asencio, professor at the University of Alicante (UA). The jury secretary was Rafael Simón, a lawyer who contributed to the process.
Speaking on behalf of the President of the Mediterráneo Foundation, Louis Boyer noted the award’s symbolic value. He described it as a tribute to a patron who left a lasting mark on the organization and whose name is attached to a conference room at the headquarters. He expressed satisfaction with both the caliber of the works and the strength of the jury, which together forged a meaningful recognition of contribution to the field.
The first prize was awarded to Magro’s study, titled “The Importance of the Moment When the Claim of Illegal Evidence Is Decided in the Criminal Process.” The work directly analyzes a recurring issue raised by Gimeno Sendra: how to handle illegal evidence and determine the point at which its use should be ruled out before it reaches the oral hearing, where it could be deemed invalid.
The jury president drew attention to the exceptional quality of all submissions and emphasized that the winning piece addresses a matter of national importance with potential implications for international law. The committee believed this combination of high quality and broad relevance justified the award.
special interest
The jury also gave a Special Mention to jurist Antonio Serrano Acitores for his innovative work, “Protection of Patients’ Fundamental Rights Against the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare.” The study seeks to unpack ethical and legal issues surrounding AI in medicine and to defend patients’ fundamental rights in those scenarios. The panel stressed that the topic is timely and impactful, permeating many aspects of daily life as AI becomes an increasingly common capability in health systems.
Vicente Magro underscored the honor of winning the first prize in memory of Gimeno, noting that Gimeno was not only one of the country’s leading procedural lawyers but also a teacher to many in the field. He highlighted the significance of the doctrinal work in advancing ideas central to the care of the criminal process, particularly the treatment of unlawful evidence and its consequences for justice.
The Supreme Court judge from Alicante expressed pride in being recognized for presenting a doctrinal argument that reflects Gimeno’s core contributions. He stated that the award validates the study’s emphasis on how unlawfully obtained evidence is managed and how solutions can be crafted within the framework of due process.
Antonio Serrano described the recognition as an honor that inspires continued research into the overlapping areas of technology and human rights in healthcare. He expressed hope that his work would guide ethical and responsible deployment of AI in medical settings, with patient dignity and rights front and center.
Supreme Court prosecutor Juan Carlos López Coig commented that the prize represents a remarkable idea and that Gimeno’s lifelong connection with the foundation makes the award especially meaningful. He lauded the honor as a descriptor of the best procedural scholarship of the 20th century.
Professor José María Asencio commented that the award fairly acknowledges the academic and professional career of a leading procedural scholar who linked procedure with fundamental rights and the democratic order. He described the initiative as a defense of the Spanish Constitution and international agreements alike.
Luis María Cazorla, professor of Financial and Tax Law and state lawyer, praised the prize as a milestone for the foundation, framing it as a meaningful societal contribution that has legal resonance beyond Spain. He called the honor a symbol of the foundation’s evolving role in public life.
Victoria Ortega, President of the General Assembly of Lawyers, remarked on the extraordinary level of participation and the quality of the works, noting that Vicente Gimeno’s legacy in procedural law remains a guiding influence for many in the field. She affirmed that his memory continues to inspire practitioners and scholars alike.
Yolanda Gómez, director of the Center for Political and Constitutional Studies and Professor of Constitutional Law, commented that the study receiving the special mention addresses a pressing contemporary issue at the intersection of health and technology.
Vicente Gimeno Beviá, Gimeno Sendra’s son and professor at the University of Alicante, expressed gratitude on behalf of his family for the foundation’s gesture. He hoped that the award would inaugurate a series of scientific works of high intellectual value and advance the study of Fundamental Rights, a subject closely tied to his father’s career.
Judge profiles
• Pascual Sala — Former president of the Court of Accounts, the Supreme Court of Appeals, the General Assembly of the Judiciary, and the Constitutional Court (2011-2013).
• Victoria Ortega — President of the General Council of the Legal Profession.
• Yolanda Gómez — Director of the Center for Political and Constitutional Research and Professor of Constitutional Law.
• Luis María Cazorla — Professor of Financial and Tax Law, State lawyer, Cortes Generales lawyer, and current general secretary of the Spanish Stock Exchanges and Markets, among others.
• Juan Carlos López Coig — A Supreme Court prosecutor since 2014 and former chief prosecutor of the Alicante Provincial Court.
• José María Asencio — Professor of Procedural Law at the University of Alicante.
• The President of the Mediterráneo Foundation presides over the Award, with the Secretary General acting as Jury Secretary, Rafael Simón.
Vicente Gimeno Sendra
Vicente Gimeno Sendra (Gandía, 1949 – Alicante, 2020) served as a judge of the Constitutional Court and as a professor of Procedural Law at UNED from 1988 to 1998. He sat on the Mediterráneo Foundation’s board of trustees from 2016 to 2020. He earned the outstanding doctorate award at the University of Valencia in 1977 and worked as a lawyer and advisor to the Ministry of Justice. Gimeno Sendra led the Carlos V European Institute of Legal Sciences and contributed to numerous law journals, publishing more than a hundred articles. His career earned him the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabel la Católica, the Cross of Honor of the Order of San Raimundo de Peñafort, and the Medal of the Constitutional Order of Merit.