Barcelona will get five new courts: one duty court for minor offences and four criminal courts to provide a boost for swift trials, thanks to an agreement between the City Council, the Government of Catalonia and the Spanish state. At the same time, the City Police will be the first local police force in the Spanish state to be able to check the record with data on reoffending.
The agreement was reached in a meeting between the President of the Government of Catalonia, Salvador Illa; the Spanish Minister for Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Courts, Félix Bolaños; the Catalan Minister for Justice and Democratic Quality, Ramon Espadaler, and the Mayor of Barcelona, Jaume Collboni.
Shock plan
The shock plan against reoffending includes the creation of a third duty court in 2025, which could handle up to 18,000 trials a year (50% more) and cut the trial designation time from the current eight months to one.
The main characteristic of immediate trials is that the same duty court can hold the hearing and pass sentence in cases of minor offences. These include thefts of less than 400 euros, threats, coercion and minor injuries.
For their part, the four extra criminal courts planned for 2026 will increase annual designation times by 2,400 for fast trials. This larger capacity should have a direct effect on reducing time frames, gradually bringing the current 15 months down to one month.
Access to the database on reoffending (SIRAJ)
As from March 2025, the City Police will have access to the record on reoffending through the court database (SIRAJ). This will allow them to know if a person has a criminal record and the nature of their offences, allowing them to know if they should apply reoffending as an aggravating factor as established by the Criminal Code.