The judicial bodies in the Community of Valencia have resumed growth after the Covid health crisis. The annual report from the Supreme Court of Justice of the Community of Valencia TSJCV, as referenced by Europa Press, highlights a renewed increase in cases in 2022.
Valencia courts registered a 7.6 percent rise in filings compared with 2021. The same data show a 1.5 percent annual uptick in resolutions, but the overall workload remains difficult to manage. The report notes a 10.1 percent rise in pending matters, underscoring the ongoing pressure on the system.
Pilar de la Oliva, president of TSJCV, emphasized that there is still substantial work ahead. She pointed out that recent technological advances and social changes demand a different approach from a state power that sits at the center of the country’s economic and social life. De la Oliva urged fundamental reforms to keep pace with these shifts and ensure a more efficient judicial response.
She added that the organizational model must adapt and evolve, noting that current structures may be exhausted and new judicial units should be created as needed. The report shows that by court order, 311,031 new cases were filed in 2022, marking an 8.3 percent increase from the previous year. In the same period, 293,018 cases were resolved, a 0.5 percent rise from 2021, while 184,487 cases remained pending, up 11.3 percent from year end 2021.
In the realm of criminal justice, community courts and tribunals processed 353,111 cases last year, a 9 percent rise year over year. The judicial bodies in this jurisdiction closed 343,341 cases, up 5.1 percent from the prior year, with pending cases increasing by 11.5 percent to 102,431 by year end.
Disputes and administrative decisions
In contrast, orders in controversial administrative and social matters followed a different path. The administrative stream saw 16,479 cases in 2022, a 3.6 percent drop from the previous year, while 18,185 cases were resolved, down 9.6 percent, and 13,029 cases remained pending at year end, down 3.6 percent.
In social judgments, the number of new cases reached 39,572, a 4.1 percent decline from the prior year. Resolved cases totaled 37,002, down 14.7 percent, and pending cases stood at 33,040, up 5.4 percent from 2021.
The rate of filings per 1,000 inhabitants in the Valencian Community places the region sixth in the country, with a figure of 141.3 against a national average of 140.8. The increase in workload in 2022 has been partly attributed to structural deficiencies that ordinary processes could not absorb. The Royal Decree 954/2022 of 15 November led to the establishment of seventy judicial units as part of the 2022 programming and the adaptation of judicial facilities. On December 31, 2022, a magistrate position for the Ninth Division of the Valencian County Court, civil matters, came into effect with the aim of lightening the heavy workload managed by the court system, particularly in commercial issues.
Additionally, three new judicial units related to primary and education matters began operating. These include units numbered 6 in Nules, 8 in Llíria, and 7 in Sagunto, within the Contested Administrative Court: unit 2 in Elche/Elx and five for Violence Against Women Courts: units 3 in Alicante, 2 in Elche, 1 in Alzira, 1 in Sueca, and 5 in Valencia.
On January 1, 2023, eight judicial district groups in the Valencian Community were created to provide information on topics related to gender violence, marking a continued effort to address this critical area.
Notes from the TSJCV report emphasize that the reforms are intended to strengthen efficiency and resilience in the Valencian judicial system while aligning responses with contemporary social and technological realities.
These developments illustrate a judiciary in the Valencian Community that is evolving under pressure from rising caseloads, shifting types of disputes, and a need for structural modernization that keeps pace with national and regional expectations.
Attribution: information derived from the TSJCV annual report, as cited by Europa Press, regarding the year 2022 and early 2023 structural changes.