A political agreement between a broad spectrum of parties, including the popular and socialist groups, will open a path to renewing the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). This renewal will allow the presidency of the Alicante Provincial Court to be filled after more than two years of interim management caused by the blockage in the judiciary’s governing body. The term of Judge Juan Carlos Cerón as president of the Alicante court expired in early 2022, and he has served provisionally while awaiting the CGPJ to unblock pending appointments.
Cerón took office as president of the Alicante Provincial Court at the start of 2017 for a five-year term. He succeeded Vicente Magro, who had been appointed to the Supreme Court. The process to appoint a new president in Alicante was expected to start in 2022, though authorities familiar with the judicial system noted that deadlines are not always observed strictly. Cerón could seek a second term, since the system allows magistrates to serve a second consecutive mandate. Across Spain, there are thirty presidencies of provincial courts awaiting leadership appointments.
Presidency of the TSJ
The Alicante court presidency is not the only judicial leadership in temporary office in the Valencian Community due to the CGPJ stalemate. The presidency of the Superior Court of Justice of the Valencian Community, Pilar de la Oliva, has been in office in an acting capacity for three years. De la Oliva was first elected in 2010 and renewed in 2016. Legislation has limited these officials to two terms, but the rule applies only to magistrates named after the reform; therefore, a new bid for renewal could be possible. The TSJ also has an acting president of the Contentious-Administrative Chamber, Manuel Baeza, whose mandate expired three years ago. In October, the term of the president of the Social Chamber, Francisco Javier Lluch, also expired. Another acting president is at the Castellón Provincial Court, where President José Manuel Marco retired late last year and was replaced by Carlos Rodríguez. Soon, the presidency of the Valencia Provincial Court is expected to become vacant as Esther Rojo, who sits on the CGPJ, continues in her role as a vocal member.
Further clarity is needed on when the renewal process will culminate and how it will unfold. For now, the renewal of the CGPJ must be approved by both Congress and the Senate, and then they must take office. At present, there are up to 98 pending appointments across Spain. A five-member Qualification Commission will scrutinize discretionary appointments for the plenary session and is expected to carry out further work to ensure more objective, technically grounded appointments, explained Vicente Guilarte, president of the CGPJ. Afterward, the Plenary will elect senior magistrates with a strengthened three-fifths majority, meaning thirteen votes, which will require cooperation between conservative and progressive members.
Regarding vacancies, 26 belong to the Supreme Court, with 12 affecting the Contentious-Administrative Chamber, 6 to the Social Chamber, 4 to the Civil Chamber, 3 to the Military Chamber, and one to the Penal Chamber.
There are also two vacant presidencies in the National Court, one in the Penal Chamber and another in the Social Chamber, in addition to 27 vacancies for magistrates in the Military Jurisdiction.
To add to the tally, there are 40 vacancies in the Superior Courts of Justice, including 8 presidencies and 32 magistrate positions. Moreover, 30 presidencies of Provincial Courts remain pending.
The ongoing pauses in leadership across these key judicial bodies reflect the moment of negotiation and reform at the national level. The path to renewal involves constitutional steps, parliamentary consent, and careful calibration of internal rules to ensure that new leadership can be installed with legitimacy and broad support. Observers note that the process is inherently political as well as legal, requiring compromise among different factions to reach a consensus on senior appointments across Spain.
Civil and administrative structures rely on timely appointments for continuity in judicial administration. The delay has implications for the administration of justice and the perception of judicial independence. The conversations around the CGPJ renewal illustrate the tension between maintaining procedural rigor and ensuring functional governance in the judiciary. The outcome of these negotiations will shape not only the leadership in Alicante and Valencia but the way new appointments are made in courts nationwide, including the Supreme Court and the National Court, in the years ahead.