500 Trainee Judges to Be Based in Barcelona
Catalonia will host the training of 500 new judges at the Judicial School’s temporary facilities in the City of Justice in Barcelona. The announcement was made on Friday 18 September 2026 by Catalan President Salvador Illa alongside Spain’s Minister for Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, Félix Bolaños. The provisional site is operational while construction continues on the permanent school in Vallvidrera. Illa described the deployment as a strategic commitment to ensure future magistrates gain first-hand understanding of Catalan society and language, highlighting concerns over language barriers in high-profile cases, including the trial of Roger Español related to the 2017 independence referendum. Although the trainees will go on to serve across Spain, the Generalitat hopes many will choose to remain in Catalonia, where judicial vacancies have historically been difficult to fill due to officials returning to their home regions after training.
50 New Scholarships to Boost Local Recruitment
To address this gap, the Catalan government is launching 50 new scholarships for candidates preparing for judicial, prosecutor and state lawyer civil service exams (oposiciones). This initiative, funded with a €2.8 million investment, follows a previous round described as successful by Illa. These scholarships supplement those offered by the Spanish government, under which 194 candidates in Catalonia have already benefited in recent years, receiving €12,600 annually for up to four years to cover preparation costs.
It’s about guaranteeing justice in access to justice,
, Salvador Illa, President of the Generalitat Bolaños echoed this, stating that candidates must be able to succeed in competitive exams independently of their family’s financial means.
Progress on Repeat Offending and Judicial Efficiency
Bolaños also praised the results of the emergency plan to tackle repeat offending in Barcelona. He called the outcomes "spectacular", noting that the time to trial for theft cases in the city has been reduced from eight months to just 10 days. In 2025, courts issued 1,380 more sentences than in 2024, a 63% increase, and that total has already been surpassed in the first months of 2026. The third reinforced on-call court in Barcelona will remain operational "as long as necessary" to sustain these improvements.
Security and Political Context
Illa cited an 8.4% drop in crime across Catalonia during the first eight months of 2026, data released by the government on Tuesday. Justice Minister Ramon Espadaler added that 91 new judges will join the Catalan judiciary over the next 14 months, a pace that, under previous staffing rates, would have taken 14 years. Both Illa and Bolaños framed their justice and security policies as a direct counter to far-right narratives. Illa warned that those who exploit fear do not defend public safety but use it for political gain. Bolaños added that such groups never offer solutions, only hatred and scapegoating.
Primary sources: govern.cat. Reported by cronicaglobal.cat, Generalitat de Catalunya - President.cat, El Periódico (CA).
