The shortage of judges in Catalonia is reaching a critical point. The region is already facing a lack of professionals, and plans to create 181 new judicial positions over the next two years are raising concerns within the judicial administration. This situation could lead to case backlogs and increased workloads for sitting judges, directly affecting the interests of the region’s residents.
According to El Pais, Spain’s Ministry of Justice has pledged to the Catalan government that it will open 181 new judgeships by the end of next year. However, Mercè Caso, president of the Tribunal Superior de Justicia de Cataluña (TSJC), believes fulfilling this promise will be extremely difficult. Of the current 871 positions, 132 remain vacant, in addition to temporary absences due to illness or parental leave. In total, around 15% of judgeships are unfilled.
Staff shortage
Mercè Caso points out that even if new positions are officially established, without urgent recruitment measures they will remain vacant. She calls for special competitive exams to be held for judicial appointments to genuinely increase the number of magistrates. Otherwise, in her words, there will be more empty seats in the courts with no one to fill them.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that only 120 new judges graduate each year from the Escuela Judicial, while the needs of Catalonia exceed this number. In 2026, 91 vacancies are expected to be filled, and another 90 positions are set to be created in 2027 through an agreement between the Pedro Sánchez government and ERC. However, as El Pais notes, even these measures do not guarantee that all vacancies will be filled.
Causes of turnover
Catalonia faces additional challenges: many young judges starting their careers in the region come from other parts of the country and aim to return home at the first opportunity. This situation also occurs in other professions, such as among Renfe train drivers. To retain staff, the Generalitat plans to introduce a special bonus to offset the high cost of living in the region.
The allocation of judges is managed by the Ministry of Justice. In January, the ministry announced the creation of 500 new positions across Spain, 375 of which are to be filled through a large-scale competition, while another 125 will be filled via the so-called fourth round, intended for experienced lawyers with at least ten years in the field. However, as El Pais reports, the details of this process have yet to be finalized.
Systemic challenges
The introduction of a new court structure in Spain last summer once again highlighted resource shortages. According to Mercè Caso, the lack of staff is especially acute in general administrative services, which are funded by the Generalitat. The Catalan authorities acknowledge the problem and claim ongoing coordination with the TSJC, but so far, no quick solutions are in sight.
According to El Pais, the shortage of vacancies in Catalonia’s judicial system remains acute. Even with political will and sufficient funding, training and assigning new judges takes time and requires coordinated action between central and regional authorities.
Context and similar cases
In recent years, Spain has repeatedly faced a shortage of judges in various regions. For example, Madrid and Andalusia have also reported mass vacancies, leading to case delays and increased workloads for current staff. In 2024, a similar issue came up in Valencia, where local authorities demanded that the Ministry of Justice speed up the hiring process for new professionals. Analysis by russpain.com suggests that without systemic reforms and additional incentives for young specialists, the problem of judicial shortages may persist in the future.
