A record-breaking initiative to increase the number of judges in Spain may transform the courts’ operations, but has raised concerns among legal professionals. The decision to create 500 new positions for judges and magistrates, agreed upon by the Ministry of Justice and the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ), came as a surprise amid the absence of a new budget. According to El Pais, judges’ associations welcome the measure but insist on urgent reforms to ensure new professionals can start working without delay.
The core of the agreement involves allocating 375 positions through an open competition and another 125 for experienced lawyers with at least ten years of practice. However, despite the positive assessment, representatives of the judges’ associations stress that without reforms and real resources, the system risks being overwhelmed. Funding remains a critical issue, as the state budget has not been updated, and it is unclear how the money for the new positions will be provided.
Challenges for the system
Leaders of the largest judges’ associations say that increasing the number of judges is a necessary step, but it must be accompanied by a reduction in training times and the elimination of bureaucratic obstacles. In their view, the current training process for new judges is too lengthy, and the stages of placement and reinforcement only slow it down further. It is crucial that new professionals be able to take their seats in the courts as soon as possible, otherwise the impact of the reform will be minimal.
At the same time, association representatives note that Spain still lags behind the European average in the number of judges per capita. They emphasize that increasing staff is not just a matter of quantity, but also of the quality of court work. Without sufficient funding, modern offices, and reliable IT systems, new judges will not be able to effectively fulfill their duties.
Response from the professional community
Among judges and lawyers, the decision to expand staff prompted mixed reactions. On the one hand, this is a long-awaited response to the growing number of cases and the overload of the courts. On the other, many fear that without comprehensive support and long-term planning, the new positions will remain just on paper. Association representatives recall that in recent years, their calls to increase the number of judges have been repeatedly denied due to a frozen budget, and now the authorities have suddenly announced the largest campaign in history.
Special attention is given to the so-called ‘fourth route’—appointing magistrates from among experienced lawyers. Questions about transparency and coordination of the process remain, since the law requires these appointments to be made in sync with the advancement of current judges. Some experts believe the announced number of new positions may not meet the real needs of the system.
Plans and risks
Alongside recruiting new judges, the authorities plan to accelerate the reform of the courts of instance and implement the efficiency law. However, representatives of associations warn that without fully equipped workspaces, staffed offices, and modern technology, even the most ambitious plans could place additional strain on an already overburdened system.
According to El Pais, experts emphasize that speeding up the process of training new judges should not come at the expense of selection quality. Professionalism and competence must remain priorities to avoid mistakes and maintain trust in the judicial system.
In recent years, Spain has already faced similar challenges. For instance, in 2024 the need to increase the number of judges was discussed after a sharp rise in cases related to economic disputes and family matters. At that time, issues of insufficient funding and outdated infrastructure were also raised. Similar problems occurred when new courts were launched in autonomous communities, where both staff and technical support were lacking. These examples show that simply increasing the number of judges does not solve all problems unless it is supported by comprehensive changes.
