What it is

Bill would have juvenile judges decide the age of detained youths

Committee step 4 of 7· Lapsed

It is a government bill. Introduced by the Government. It was introduced on 22 November 2024. Introduced by: Gobierno.

Official title: Government bill for an Organic Law amending Organic Law 5/2000, of January 12, regulating the criminal responsibility of minors, complementary to the Law amending Law 1/2000, of January 7, of Civil Procedure, to regulate the procedure for determining age.

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Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 121/000041· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

The bill would make juvenile judges competent to determine the age of a detained person when there are reasonable doubts about whether they are a minor or an adult.
It would also require the investigating prosecutor to request this age determination procedure before the competent juvenile judge when there are doubts about a detainee's age.
Age determination cases already in progress, and reviews of prosecutors' decisions, would be governed by the new law once it takes effect.
The law would take effect six months after its publication in the Official State Gazette, to give juvenile courts time to adapt.

Who it affects

Detained people whose age is in doubt: Their age would be determined by a juvenile judge if they are detained for an alleged crime and there are reasonable doubts.
Juvenile judges: They would gain a new role: the age determination procedure in these cases.
Investigating prosecutors: They would have to request the age determination procedure before the juvenile judge when a detainee's age is in doubt.

Words worth knowing

Determinación de la edad (age determination): A court process to find out whether a person is a minor or an adult when there are no reliable documents to prove it.
Ministerio Fiscal (Public Prosecutor's Office): The public institution that acts in court proceedings, for example defending the interests of minors.
Decreto del fiscal (prosecutor's decree): A decision made by the prosecutor in a minor's case file, for example on release or opening the case.
Ley orgánica (organic law): A type of Spanish law reserved for important matters, requiring a special vote in Congress to pass.

It summarizes the text as it was introduced. It is written by artificial intelligence and may contain mistakes: the official text is what counts. Read the official text · How we make summaries

Where it stands

How far did it get?

It took 4 of 7 steps. It reached Committee, and today it is lapsed.

Introduced22 November 2024Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
Admitted26 November 2024The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
Amendments29 November 2024Groups propose changes.
Committee25 February 2025A committee goes through the text in detail.
Plenarynot reachedAll 350 deputies vote.
Senatenot reachedThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
BOEnot reachedIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.

See the 7 official steps on a timeline

13 March 2025

How did the plenary vote?

More votes against 170 yes · 175 no

Voted on: Joint vote on the amendments to the whole for return to the Organic Government bill to amend Organic Law 5/2000, of January 12, regulating the criminal responsibility of minors, complementary to the Law to amend Law 1/2000, of January 7, on Civil Procedure, to regulate the procedure for determining age, presented by the VOX and Popular Parliamentary Groups in the Congress.

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, vote 17 of sitting 98· updated 10 Nov

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Your province

How did the deputies from your province vote?

And your senators: the Senate does not link its votes to this law in its open data, so we cannot put them side by side here.

Or see how most of each province voted

More details: how each group and each province voted

The groups

Who voted in favour and who against?

In favour, most of Popular en el Congreso and VOX. Against, most of Euskal Herria Bildu, Plurinacional SUMAR, Republicano, Socialista, Vasco (EAJ-PNV), Junts per Catalunya and Mixto. 1 deputy voted differently from their group.

By province: in 31 most voted in favour; in 11, against.

Coloured by how most of each province’s deputies voted.

In favour: 31
Against: 11
Tie: 10

Result by parliamentary group
Group	Seats	How it voted
Euskal Herria Bildu	6	5 against · 1 did not vote
Plurinacional SUMAR	27	27 against
Republicano	7	7 against
Socialista	120	119 against · 1 did not vote
Vasco (EAJ-PNV)	5	4 against · 1 did not vote
Junts per Catalunya	7	7 against
Mixto	8	1 in favour · 6 against · 1 did not vote
Popular en el Congreso	137	136 in favour · 1 did not vote
VOX	33	33 in favour

What happens next

What happens now?

The legislature ended before it finished. To go on, someone would have to introduce it again in the new Cortes.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

Congreso de los Diputados, file 121/000041
Official title, type, author, dates and stage.

Retrieved 11 November 2026
Congreso de los Diputados, procedure
The date of each step, with its official wording.

Retrieved 12 November 2026
Congreso de los Diputados, vote 17 of sitting 98
The count and every seat’s vote.

Retrieved 10 November 2026

The data comes from the open files of the Congreso, the Senate and the BOE, unaltered.
Each deputy’s province is the one of their seat on the day of the vote.
We never say “passed” because of a vote: the files do not say which majority was needed.

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