How the new Spanish administrative court law works and when it starts

Automatic summary, not yet reviewed

1. The law takes effect five months after its publication in the Official State Gazette, except for one part on labor matters that takes effect one year later.
2. It repeals the previous 1956 law and other rules that conflict with this law, including several articles on protection of fundamental rights and administrative procedure.
3. For anything this law does not cover, the Civil Procedure Act applies as a supplementary rule.
4. The Government may issue the rules needed to apply the law, must regulate the case-law Registry within one year, and must prepare the launch of the new single-judge courts between 1998 and 2000.
5. A Registry of judgments is created at the General Council of the Judiciary: the chambers of the Superior Courts of Justice, the National Court and the Supreme Court must send their judgments there.
6. The Government is authorized to update every five years the amounts in pesetas set by the law, after a report from the General Council of the Judiciary and the Council of State.
7. Cases already filed before the law takes effect continue under the old rules, although some new rules on judgments, enforcement, interim measures and court costs do apply.
8. Acts of bodies such as the Bank of Spain, the National Securities Market Commission or the Data Protection Agency can be appealed directly to the administrative chamber of the National Court.

Who it affects

• Anyone who wants to challenge a public administration's decision: They must wait five months to use the new law and get new channels, such as appealing acts of regulatory bodies to the National Court.
• People with lawsuits already underway: Their cases continue under the old rules, with some exceptions on judgments, enforcement and interim measures.
• Administrative law judges and courts: They must send their judgments to the new Registry at the General Council of the Judiciary and apply the Civil Procedure Act as a supplementary rule.
• The Government: It can update the law's monetary amounts every five years and must issue implementing rules and organize the new courts.

Words worth knowing

Contencioso-administrativo

The branch of the Spanish judiciary that handles disputes between citizens and public administrations.

Supletoria (supplementary)

A rule that applies only when the main law says nothing about an issue.

Derogar (to repeal)

To invalidate a previous law or rule.

BOE

Boletín Oficial del Estado, the official gazette where Spanish laws are published so they become known and binding.

Audiencia Nacional (National Court)

A Spanish court based in Madrid that hears certain cases nationwide, such as appeals against some regulatory bodies.

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