Margarida Marticella Leads Sole Slate for Andorran Bar Dean Election

Margarida Marticella, current treasurer of the Andorran Bar Association, is leading the expected sole slate for dean, with Eric Alguacil as her vice-dean candidate, ahead of the March 2 assembly.

The team includes Sílvia Estrada for secretary, Concepció Criado for treasurer, and vocal roles for Elsa Bucquet, Gerard Farré, Catalina Llufriu, Gal·la Ballesté, and Anton Borrell. Four—Estrada, Criado, Llufriu, and Borrell—continue from Sònia Baixench's previous board, joined by newcomers Alguacil, Bucquet, Farré, and Ballesté, who bring experience from prominent firms and a mix of established and younger lawyers.

Launched Wednesday, the platform stresses continuity, service, listening, and transparency to build cohesion, active participation, and dialogue. It aims to unite the Bar in tackling professional challenges through diversity and positions the association as a strong representative voice.

Key priorities include bolstering institutional links with courts and judicial players to create a more agile, efficient, and modern justice system with legal certainty, loyal cooperation, and mutual respect. The slate commits to addressing technical glitches and uncertainties from the electronic court file rollout by reporting issues, unifying electronic access criteria in coordination with tribunals, and pushing improvements.

Further pledges cover enhancing on-duty and public defender rotations through better operations and increased pay to dignify the profession and ensure access to justice. The group expresses strong frustration over disruptions caused by individual actions, vowing to denounce firmly any conduct by litigants that blocks these systems, harms citizens, or impairs essential services. Plans also call for reviewing and updating lawyer advertising rules to reflect current realities, fostering trust, respect, and ongoing dialogue.

The candidacy has implicit or explicit support from former deans including Baixench, Manuel Pujadas, Jean-Michel Rascagneres, and Sophie Bellocq, despite some collective discontent. No alternative slate has emerged.