Francisco Tomás y Valiente facts for kids

Monument on Avenida de Francisco Tomas Y Valiente, at Autonomous University of Madrid

Francisco Tomás y Valiente (born December 8, 1932 – died February 14, 1996) was an important Spanish expert in law, a historian, and a writer. He taught the history of law at the Autonomous University of Madrid. He also led Spain's highest court for understanding the country's main laws, called the Constitutional Court, from 1986 to 1992. Sadly, he was killed in 1996 by a group called ETA.

His death caused a huge reaction across Spain. Between 850,000 and 1 million people marched in protest through Madrid. The march was led by the Prime Minister at the time, Felipe González, and other important political leaders. This showed how much people respected him and how strongly they felt about his death.

Understanding Law and Government

Francisco Tomás y Valiente had strong beliefs about how a country should be run and the role of law.

The Importance of a State

He believed that without a "state" – which is like the organized government and system of a country – there could be no rules or rights. He said that without a state, there would only be chaos. This means that a strong, organized government is needed to create laws and protect people's rights.

Law and Good Intentions

As someone who studied the history of law, he was sure that laws alone are not enough. He felt that people also need to have good intentions and a willingness to cooperate. He worried about two main things in Spain's political system:

• People not wanting to work together.
• Different regions of Spain (called autonomous communities) rushing to gain too much independence too quickly.

He believed that cooperation and careful steps were important for the country's stability.

See also

In Spanish: Francisco Tomás y Valiente para niños