Civil lawsuits regarding loans, mortgages, unfair contract terms, evictions, or credit cards can take up to 12 years to be resolved.
The biggest bottleneck occurs in the Supreme Court, where cases remain for an average of seven years, but also in the preceding stage, the Provincial Courts (Audiencias Provinciales). Proceedings in the court of first instance take about two years. This was stated this Thursday by the president of the Provincial Court of Barcelona, Antonio Recio—where rulings on appeals take around three years to be issued—during the presentation of the 2025 annual report for this judicial body.
According to data provided by Antonio Recio and reported by El Periódico, magistrates at the Provincial Court of Barcelona endure a workload that is 178% higher than the threshold established by the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). The average number of incoming cases is 556 per judge, whereas the General Council sets the standard at 200. “These delays are taking a toll on people’s daily lives,” Recio emphasized.
In 2025, these courts experienced an increase in the number of incoming cases, rising from 22,673 in 2024 to 27,869 in 2025. Furthermore, although more lawsuits were resolved from one year to the next—16,333 in 2024 and 18,141 in 2025—pending cases also increased, from 29,751 in 2024 to 40,138 in 2025. In Recio’s own words, this court is “overwhelmed.”
In the 11 civil sections of the Provincial Court of Barcelona, 2025 saw an increase in incoming cases, growing from 22,673 in 2024 to 27,869 in 2025. And while more lawsuits were resolved year-over-year—16,333 in 2024 and 18,141 in 2025—pending cases also rose, from 29,751 in 2024 to 40,138 in 2025. This court, according to Recio, is “overwhelmed.”
To resolve the 40,138 pending matters, it would take three years without receiving any new filings—an absolute impossibility, given that projections estimate 50,000 pending cases by the end of the year. Consequently, the president of the Provincial Court is demanding that this judicial body, which currently has 56 judges, be reinforced with 16 more for this year, 2026, though in his view, the staff size should be doubled.
