El Parlamento aprueba la creación del Colegio Oficial de Criminología de Andalucía.

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 of the criminologists in the community, to which more than 3,500 professionals belong. «Thanks to those who have been working in silence that you did not deserve and that from now on will 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 Civil Service, 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 regulate, represent, and defend the interests of those practicing criminology, «a discipline that is increasingly consolidated and essential» in the prevention and analysis of crime, as well as in the intervention with victims and offenders. Nieto thanked all political groups for their support for this law and, especially, for their «effort» 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, bureaucracy has 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 like the detectives’ or pedagogues’ will follow.

Currently, in Andalusia, more than 3,500 individuals hold a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Criminology, and each year, public universities in Andalusia offer around 600 places in this program that «is providing a very high value to professionals.» «Now you will have a tool with which you will help improve society, but also dignify the profession and further elevate its standard of quality.»

During the parliamentary debate, the Minister of Justice, Local Administration, and Civil Service, 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 great social impact».

Moreover, he highlighted that the creation of the College will allow for direct communication between the collective and public administrations, as well as strengthening the protection of consumers and users of the services provided by these professionals.

The law provides for voluntary membership, and all individuals who can prove possession of the official Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Criminology, or its equivalent foreign qualification 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 a period of six months to draft the provisional statutes of the College. These will regulate its internal functioning, the membership procedure, 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 Junta de Andalucía strengthens its commitment to the modernization and professionalization of key sectors, fulfilling its objective of promoting the creation of professional corporations that safeguard the public interest, the quality of service provision, and the defense of Andalusian professionals.