The Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community (TSJ) has requested the establishment of a second on‑call court for the Alicante judicial district to cope with rising workloads in 24‑hour services. These duties involve handling matters from all jurisdictions when other judicial bodies are closed. The nine Alicante Investigation Courts have recorded the highest intake of cases in seven years and are approaching, or in some cases exceeding, 3,000 cases per year.
The proposal appears in the TSJ’s latest annual report, which consolidates the needs reported by the Alicante judge‑dean, César Martínez, and the president of the County Court, Juan Carlos Cerón. The work distribution would allow faster action on urgent matters and is already in practice in major cities such as Madrid, Barcelona or Valencia.
Judicial statistics show that the Alicante Investigation Courts posted the largest rise in case intake since 2017, after a dip during the pandemic and the period of restrictions. In 2017, 21,943 cases were filed. In 2023, the total reached 26,279, marking a twenty percent increase.
Each of the nine Alicante courts rotates daily to cover these 24‑hour guard shifts. The judge‑dean explained that guard shifts generate all kinds of incidents, extending beyond daily detainees. Judicial sources noted that when Violence Against Women or Juvenile courts are closed, urgent matters that would normally fall to those courts must be handled during the guard. This situation is most common on weekends. The dean noted that a committee of judges still needs to decide how to allocate the workload: one judge would handle detainees, another would manage incidents.
Violence Against Women
On a typical day, the domestic violence courts may interview up to a dozen detainees since they absorb all cases from San Vicente del Raspeig. During 24‑hour guard shifts at the Investigation Court, up to twenty detainees can be processed daily. Some propose opening a fourth Violence Against Women court in Alicante to enable 24‑hour guard coverage in that jurisdiction. This idea, once deemed unlikely when Vox led Justice, now appears more feasible after the government coalition in the Generalitat broke apart.
The request for a second guard court in Alicante is accompanied in the TSJ report by a proposal to establish a fourth court for Domestic Violence as well as a fourth Juvenile Court. These requests reflect a perceived rise in crime and the need for faster judicial responses.
Judicial sources explained that guard shifts reveal a growing range of incidents, and each day brings more cases. From urgent evictions of squatters to rapid entries and searches or wiretap requests by security forces, as well as commitments for mentally ill individuals, the system is pressed to resolve urgent matters affecting fundamental rights and requiring swift court action.
Alicante previously achieved 24‑hour guard coverage for the courts while Vicente Magro, now a member of the Supreme Court, led the Provincial Court. Magro supported the proposal for a second guard court in Alicante, asserting that it is unreasonable for the city to retain the same number of Investigation Courts as it did twenty years ago.
Budgetary Issues
The creation of new courts in Alicante faces budgetary constraints because it is a central government responsibility, and this year the budgets are extended due to a lack of parliamentary majority to approve accounts. Last year only two courts were created in the province, and with accounts extended, growth in the near term looks unlikely.
For the entire province of Alicante, the TSJ calls for the creation of about thirty courts, many civil. Reports from this publication have noted calls to eventually launch up to ten First Instance courts within a decade, of which at least three should begin operation urgently. It also seeks two more Labor Courts to handle backlogs in employment disputes, where waiting times now reach two years.
It is important to note that the information reflects ongoing discussions and planning within the provincial judiciary, with the aim of improving response times and ensuring access to justice across Alicante.
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