The Spanish judiciary is increasingly becoming a playground for political interests, an association representing the legal profession was quoted as saying by the media on Wednesday.
An agreement between the two main parties on who parliament should confirm as new members of the General Council of Judicial Power (CGPJ) was described as a "shameful spectacle" and "fraud."
Socialist Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero and conservative opposition leader Mariano Rajoy reached an agreement on the composition of the CGPJ after a two-year party struggle for the control of the organ, which appoints judges and watches over them.
The 21 members include nine judges close to the Socialists and nine close to Rajoy's People's Party (PP).
The agreement was a "slap in the face" of judges who did not belong to politically oriented associations, National Court judge Fernando Grande-Marlaska complained, explaining that the CGPJ members should be chosen on professional and not political grounds.
The judges' association AJFV, which stresses its political independence, described the agreement as defrauding the law and a "shameful spectacle."
German exports plunged in November to record the biggest fall in nearly two decades, data released Thursday showed, as the deepening world economic downturn hits Europe's biggest economy.
When the Spirit rover landed on Mars five years ago, no one expected it or its sister rover Opportunity to make it to their first birthdays, let alone their fifth.
The San Antonio Spurs turned up their trademark defense down the stretch to turn back another opponent. 
US singer and Academy Award winner Jennifer Hudson, 27, dominated the nominations for the 40th NAACP Image Awards.
After the Taipei Zoo received two giant pandas from China, another Taiwan zoo said Friday it is seeking to receive a pair of pandas from China.