Landelino Lavilla Alsina  Landelino Lavilla Alsina (6 August 1934 – 13 April 2020) was a Spanish lawyer and politician who served as the Minister of Justice of Spain from 1976 to 1979. He also served as member of parliament and as senator. His most important role was as President of the Congress of Deputies during the coup d'état of 23-F in 1981. Jurist Eduardo García de Enterría called him the "principal architect of the transition to democracy". Lavilla was born in Lleida on 6 August 1934. He received law degrees from the University of Zaragoza and Complutense University of Madrid. Lavilla was a lawyer by profession. He joined the board of lawyers of the Court of Auditors in 1958 and of the State Council in 1959. He joined the "Tácitos", Catholic reformist group, in 1974. He became a senior member of the Christian Democratic Party. The group published articles in the Catholic daily, "Ya", beginning by 1972. He was the undersecretary of industry in the last cabinet of Franco from 1974 to 1976. Lavilla was appointed minister of justice in the first cabinet of Adolfo Suárez on 5 July 1976, replacing Antonio Garrigues y Díaz-Cañabate in the post. He retained his post following the democratic elections in June 1977. He drafted the 1977 Political Reform Act that was approved by the congress in November 1977 and implemented a legal process that paved the way for the legalization of all major political groups, including communists and PSOE. Lavilla's term ended on 6 April 1979 when Íñigo Cavero was appointed justice minister. Lavilla was appointed senator in 1977 and was in office until 1978. He was elected to the congress of deputies in 1979, representin Jaén province. He served as speaker of the Congress from 1979 to 1982, the first legislature after the approval of the new constitution. On 23 February 1981, members of the Civil Guard led by Antonio Tejero burst into the chamber in a failed coup d'état. Lavilla faced Tejero saying that "in this chamber, the orders are given by the presidency. This is over. Evict". The colonel obeyed and the deputies were able to occupy their seats after getting down. During the night of 23–24, he offered Tejero the members of the parliament Board as hostages and asked that they free the members of the government and the legislators, but Tejero rejected the move.