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What it is

Reform of the law that organizes Spanish courts and judges

BOE step 7 of 7 · Passed

It is a government bill. Introduced by the Government. It was introduced on 29 December 1993. Introduced by: Gobierno.

Official title: Government bill amending Organic Law 6/1985, of July 1, on the Judiciary.

Follow this law

Source: Congreso de los Diputados, file 121/000031· updated 11 Nov

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

  1. It changes how people become judges. The governing council of the judiciary now manages the entrance exam, a theoretical and practical course of at least two years with internships as adjunct judges is added, and one quarter of openings are reserved for legal professionals with six years of practice, who enter through a competitive review plus exam.
  2. It changes the governing chambers of the High Courts of Justice (Tribunales Superiores de Justicia). Provincial Court chief judges join as ex officio members, and when a chamber has more than ten members it may work through a six-member committee renewed every year.
  3. It reforms how judicial posts are filled. Provincial Court sections may have four judges, the governing council may temporarily keep some vacancies out of transfer competitions, and judges must stay at least two or three years in a post before applying for another.
  4. It improves the rules for substitute and temporary judges. A maximum age of 72 is set, appointments and exclusions must include written reasons, and the grounds for removal are listed in detail.
  5. It reforms the disciplinary system for judges. It extends the time limits for prosecuting offenses, defines serious and minor offenses in detail, removes the reprimand sanction, and distributes sanctioning powers among court presidents, governing chambers and the council.
  6. Courts may use electronic, computer and telematic means. Documents issued through these means are valid as originals if their authenticity and integrity are guaranteed, and the council approves the software to ensure compatibility.
  7. The governing council of the judiciary is given the power to issue regulations developing the law, under strict limits, after hearing interested parties, and with approval by a three-fifths majority of its plenary.
  8. The law takes effect thirty days after its publication in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado).

Who it affects

  • People seeking to become judges: Entrance exams, the examining panel and prior training all change.
  • Judges and magistrates: They face new rules on entry, postings, conflicts of interest and a reformed disciplinary system.
  • Court clerks and court staff: Their duties, retirement age and conflicts of interest rules change.
  • The general public: They can report judicial misconduct, with guarantees on how the report is handled.
  • The governing body of the judiciary (Consejo General del Poder Judicial): It gains powers over judge selection, its own regulations and its budget.

Words worth knowing

Consejo General del Poder Judicial
The body that governs Spanish judges and magistrates: it selects, appoints and inspects them.
Carrera Judicial
The professional body of judges and magistrates in Spain.
Sala de Gobierno
A chamber of judges that handles the internal management and organization of a court.
Prescripción
When an offense or sanction can no longer be enforced because too much time has passed.
Magistrado suplente
A legal professional on a list who temporarily fills a judge's seat when there are not enough sitting judges.

It summarizes the law as published in the BOE. 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 7 of 7 steps. It reached BOE, and today it is passed.

  1. Introduced29 December 1993Someone registers the text in the Congreso.
  2. Admitted30 December 1993The Bureau of the Congreso accepts it and, for a members’ bill, the plenary decides whether to consider it.
  3. Amendmentsno dateGroups propose changes.
  4. Committeeno dateA committee goes through the text in detail.
  5. Plenaryno dateAll 350 deputies vote.
  6. Senateno dateThe Senate can pass it, amend it or veto it.
  7. BOEno dateIt is published in the Official State Gazette (BOE) and comes into force.
See the 2 official steps on a timeline
Dec 199311. 29 December 1993: Presentación22. 30 December 1993: Calificación

Was there a plenary vote?

We have no plenary vote linked to this law in the Congreso’s data.

What happens next

What happens now?

It is law, or will be once published in the BOE. It comes into force on the date its own text sets.

The same initiative in the other chamber:

Published in the BOE: Organic Law 16/1994, of November 8, amending Organic Law 6/1985, of July 1, on the Judiciary.

Sources

Where does all this come from?

  • 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 only say “passed” or “rejected” when the majority needed is certain; otherwise we say which side had more votes.

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