Barcelona Region to Get Majority of New Judicial Roles

The Catalan government has announced the creation of 95 new judicial positions, with 60 allocated to the Barcelona vegueria, the administrative division covering the city and surrounding comarques. The posts will reinforce courts in Barcelona, El Prat de Llobregat, Esplugues de Llobregat, Martorell, Santa Coloma de Gramenet, Badalona, Granollers, Sabadell, Terrassa, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, and Mataró. These include roles in civil, commercial, criminal, social, administrative litigation, enforcement, and specialist courts dealing with violence against women and child protection. Additional positions will be added to the Provincial Court of Barcelona and the High Court of Justice of Catalonia.

Positions to Improve Access and Reduce Delays

The expansion, approved by the Council of Ministers on Friday 13th November 2026, forms part of the 2027 judicial staffing plan. It includes 94 newly created posts plus one in Sant Feliu de Guíxols that was previously established but not budgeted. The new roles will become operational during 2028. Currently, Catalonia has 871 judicial positions. With 91 posts added in 2026 and the 95 planned for 2027, the total will reach 1,057, a 21.35% increase from the current level.

This growth will benefit all territories of Catalonia, without exception.

Councillor Espadaler stated the reinforcement would lead to more efficient justice and shorter response times for citizens, particularly in high-demand areas.

Broader Justice and Prosecution Expansion

Alongside the judicial appointments, the Spanish government also approved 47 new prosecutor positions for Catalonia, increasing the regional prosecution workforce by 9.9%, from 472 to 519. Nationally, 500 new judicial and 200 prosecutor posts were approved for 2027. The distribution follows objective criteria including workload, litigation rates, and population, and was developed in consultation with the General Council of the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the governing chamber of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC).

Of the 94 new judicial posts, 70 are for First Instance Courts, 17 for Provincial Courts, and 7 for the TSJC. The allocation also considers available court space and infrastructure readiness.

Sources: Diari Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya, Generalitat de Catalunya, El Periódico.

The Generalitat de Catalunya published its own press note on this.

The Generalitat de Catalunya published its own press note on this.