Jurisdictional personnel

JURISDICTIONAL PERSONNEL Unit 12

JUDGES AND SENIOR JUDGES (CAREER JUDGES)

SELECTION SYSTEM.

When the LOPJ came into force in 1985, the system for selection of judges into the judicialcareer was through a competitive examination. This was the traditional method of selection to become a professional judge in our country. However, the law allowed another kind of selection of judges knownas “the third turn”, that give the option to become professional judges to people who had a degree in Law and could prove to have been during certain number of years working in the legal profession,as for example lawyers.

This last possibility was banned through a modification of the LOPJ in 2003, and since then the system for recruitment to enter into the judicial career is as follows: Judge,senior judge and member of the High Judiciary as senior judge for the Supreme Court or the High Court of Justice.

JUDGE.

Candidates must pass a competitive exam called “oposición”. This exam isthe same for judges and public prosecutors, so that, once the candidate has passed the exam, he must choose one of the options, that is, become a judge or public prosecutor. After passing the exam,the candidates enter into a second phase: formal studies in theoretical and procedural subjects at the Judicial Schools in Barcelona.

All applicants must have the following requisites: be Spanish,be more than 18 years old, and with no criminal or adverse moral records. There is a certain number of applications for people with a certain degree of disability that cannot be more than 33%, andthis kind of disability is compatible with the performance of their duties as judges.

The examining tribunal is formed by a panel of 9 members: one Supreme Court or High Court Senior Judge, or SeniorPublic Prosecutor (TS/ TSJ) that will act as the President, and 8 members: 2 Senior Judges, 2 Public Prosecutors, one University Professor, 1 State Lawyer, 1 lawyer with more than 10 years in the...