Senior Judges Warn of Imminent Collapse from Alicante, Demand Government to Halt Judicial Reform

Senior judges from across Spain issued a stern warning to the Government from Alicante on Friday, 13th June, during the XXXIII National Conferences. In their final conclusions, the territorial judicial leadership warned of the real risk of collapse with the imminent operation of the Instance Courts, and harshly criticized the attempt to implement such a significant judicial reform "at zero cost."

The extensive and technical document highlights the judiciary's deep dissatisfaction with a reform they consider "hasty and unrealistic." Their message to the Executive is clear: without judges, resources, and planning, there will be no efficiency, only a risk of judicial paralysis.

The judges' criticism is particularly directed at a reform that, they claim, "cannot be done at zero cost" and has been designed "without involving the Judiciary." Therefore, they demand active and effective participation in the redesign of the Instance Courts and the Judicial Office, emphasizing that any reorganization must preserve judges' control over the procedure and prevent them from becoming mere spectators of procedural steps.

In a statement issued after their working sessions, the top officials of the local courts expressed gratitude for the support of the President of the Supreme Court and the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), Isabel Perelló, who inaugurated the conferences at the Digital District, highlighting the importance of her intervention in defending judicial independence.

The current model of career access, based on the principles of merit, ability, objectivity, and transparency, has been firmly defended by senior judges against the proposed reform. At the same time, they warned of the real risk of collapse in the new courts specialized in Violence against Women, whose workload will increase "unbearably" from the implementation of the new model on 3rd October.

They also predict a substantial increase in urgent actions, such as protection measures or fast-track trials, now also extended to crimes against sexual freedom. This is compounded by the recent transformation of instruction courts into gender violence units, which they describe as "unacceptable," as it exacerbates pressure on affected sections and negatively impacts the duty regime and remuneration rights of their members.

In their analysis, the senior judges propose an immediate moratorium on assigning new competencies to the Courts of Violence against Women until the full implementation of the Instance Courts. They also request the CGPJ to regulate, as soon as possible, the process of electing the presidents of these courts, the replacement in case of vacancies, and the coordination between sections, as well as the figure of governmental support to the presidents.

They also demand the maintenance of current specialties (such as Family, Disability, or Executions) in future judicial positions and call for urgent measures to strengthen the jurisdiction of Social and First Instance, affected by "an alarming and desperate situation."

Regarding the creation of specialized sections in Violence against Children and Adolescents, the judges warn of the lack of regulatory foresight about their coordination with on-call services and the problems posed by staffing them with only one position. They also demand an effective guarantee of separation between the Juvenile jurisdiction and the rest, in accordance with national and international regulations.