Barcelona's civil chambers have built up an unprecedented backlog as they contend with a severe shortage of judges. In 2025, new cases soared to 27,869, more than 5,000 above the previous year and a record for the court. Magistrates resolved 18,141 cases, leaving more than 40,000 matters pending or in process. Even with no new filings, clearing the current queue would take more than two years.
Antonio Recio, president of the Audiencia de Barcelona, has warned that waits for civil rulings have reached three years and could stretch to four in 2026. He links the worsening congestion to a sharp rise in consumer litigation, particularly disputes with financial institutions over loan and credit card agreements challenged for abusive clauses. But he says the basic problem remains the chronic lack of judges. The government has announced eight new judicial positions for Barcelona's civil courts; Recio says at least 16 are needed to address the crisis.
Each judge in Barcelona handles nearly triple the official workload standard of 200 cases a year, set by the Boletín Oficial del Estado. Judges are still resolving 65% more cases than the recommended limit. Recio says a civil case that reaches the Supreme Court can now take up to 12 years in total: one to two years at first instance, three years at the Audiencia and up to seven years at the Supreme Court.
National court statistics show the scale of Spain's judicial workload, though pressure varies by jurisdiction. The Consejo General del Poder Judicial (CGPJ), Spain's judicial-governance body, reported that courts nationwide registered 1,933,412 new cases and resolved 1,846,627 in the second quarter of 2026, a gap of 86,785. The CGPJ said the civil jurisdiction was the only major jurisdiction not to receive more cases than in the same period a year earlier. These nationwide figures offer broader context for the strain on Barcelona, while the city's case totals and waiting times point to a local concentration of pressure.
Efforts to reduce the backlog have so far focused on curbing the flow of new cases. The government has introduced Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms (MASC), but they are still in the early stages and will need at least two years to prove effective. Recio has called for wider use of out-of-court settlements, especially in financial disputes, to ease pressure on the courts. Evictions and claims for unpaid invoices also contribute to congestion, often with interest calculations complicating proceedings.
Catalonia also faces a systemic shortage of judges and high turnover. Many new judges leave their first postings in Catalan regions soon after completing training at the Escuela Judicial, taking up more desirable positions elsewhere. Replacements then need time to get familiar with ongoing cases, adding to delays. This instability deepens the backlog and makes timely justice harder to deliver.
Barcelona's civil courts face particularly acute strain, but similar pressures have been reported elsewhere in Spain, reflecting a wider challenge for the country's judicial system. The situation echoes pressure on other public services, including recent disruptions caused by extreme weather in Madrid, where resource shortages and rising demand can quickly overwhelm impressive institutions.
Spain's judiciary has long struggled with underfunding and staffing gaps, especially in major urban centers. Digital case management and alternative dispute resolution methods are being introduced, but experts caution that delays are likely to persist without a large increase in judicial appointments and administrative support. The crisis in Barcelona points to the need to prioritize investment in the justice system so all residents can access legal remedies in a timely way.
