Spain+Laws+and+Government

Spain is a constitutional monarchy, with a hereditary monarch and a bicameral parliament, the //Cortes Gererales//. The executive branch consists of a council of ministers presided over by the President of Government (compared to a prime minister), proposed by the monarch and elected by the National Assembly following legislative elections, therefore it is a democracy. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spain#Government
 * __The Spanish Government__**

The government generally respects the human rights of its citizens, and the law and judiciary provides effective means of addressing individual instances of abuse. Domestic violence, trafficking in persons, prejudice and at times violence against minorities were societal problems. The Basque terrorist group Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) declared a "permanent ceasefire" on March 22, however an ETA bombing at the Madrid airport on December 30 killed at least two persons. The spanish constitution provides for the right to a fair public trial, and the Government generally respected this provision in practice. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is the final arbiter in cases concerning human rights. There is a nine person jury system. Defendants enjoy the presumption of innocence and have the right to be represented by an attorney to confront witnesses and to present witnesses on their behalf, and to have access to government-held evidence. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and of the press.http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2006/78840.htm Continuous changes to migration-related laws have been increasingly discriminatory and have promoted a bad image or foreigners. Ensuring equality for all, regardless of their origin, is becoming increasingly difficult and the number of everyday situations in which foreigners face discrimination is rising. Racism against the Gypsy community still persists today, although Roma people have lived in spain for hundreds of years. They have come to accept the discrimination and no longer speak out, which makes putting an end to these kind of situations even harder. European Network against racism (ENAR) promotes the cause of anti-racism and equal treatment for ethnic minorities and non-EU nationals residing in the European Union. ENAR is determined to fight racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitiam and Islamophobia, to promote equality of treatment between EU citizens and third world country nationals, and to link local/regional/national initiatives with European initiatives. http://www.enar-eu.org/en/publication/national_leaflets/Spain_EN.pdf http://www.gomadrid.com/practic/local-laws.html
 * __Spanish Local Laws__**
 * Human Rights Policies**
 * Anti-discrimination Laws**

the legal drinking age in Spain is 16, so people under 16 cannot purchase alcohol, although they can purchase beer and wine if accompanied by their parents. The law makes no reference to drinking at home, referring instead to external premises, such as bars, nightclubs, restaurants. This means that children can drink alcohol to the discretion of the parents inside the home. When driving in Spain, the law states that the BAC limit has to be under 0.05. However it is strongly advised that you don't drink under any circumstances. In Spain, the law puts individual privacy rights over drug control concerns. That means that people can grow and smoke whatever they want in the privacy of their own homes, and other privately owned spaces. If you are caught with drugs in a public area, such as being caught with possession of under 50 grams of cannibis or its derivatives, you will be subject to an administrative fins (from $500 to $50 000). Amounts under fifty grams are considered to be for personal use and there are no criminal penalties. If caught with a larger amount, which is divvied up into seperate pieces or bags, indicating intent to sell, they will be deemed to constitute an "attempt against public health" and can carry prison terms along with the corresponding fine. The sexual legal age of consent is thirteen. However, seduction through deception is illegal if the victim is under the age od sixteen. http://www.smartraveller.gov.au/zw-cgi/view/Advice/Spain#Local_Laws Australian authorities are committed to combating sexual exploitation of children by Australians overseas.Australians may be prosecuted at home under Australian child sex tourism laws. These laaws provide severe penalties of up to 17 years imprisonment for people who engage in sexual activity with children under 16 years of age. travellers must exercise caution and monitor developments that might affect your safety in Spain because of the risk of terrorism and street crime. Travellers must pay close attendtion to their personal security and monitor the media for information about possible new safety or security risks.
 * Some local laws that visitors to spain should know before travelling** **there...**