Direct appointment of substitute justices of the peace in 41 municipalities of Soria

The High Court of Justice of Castilla y León has opened the direct appointment process to fill substitute justice of the peace vacancies in 41 municipalities in the province of Soria. The announcement, authorized by the Governing Chamber of the high court, is published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Soria no. 112, dated September 25, 2026, with the reference BOPSO-112-25092026. Interested parties have fifteen days from the publication of the edict to submit their application.

The edict is issued in compliance with the provisions of Article 101.4 of the Organic Law of the Judiciary and Article 11.1 of the Justice of the Peace Regulations 3/1995, of June 7, the regulation that governs the role of the justice of the peace and their substitute. The resolution is dated Burgos, September 18, 2026, and is signed by the Secretary of Government, Mª Teresa de Benito Martínez, assigned to the Secretariat of Justice of the Peace of the court.

The justice of the peace is an honorary and non-professional position that performs proximity functions—conciliations, communication acts, and certain civil and criminal proceedings—in municipalities where there is no court of first instance. Direct appointment is the provided channel for localities where no candidates apply through the ordinary election process by the City Council Plenary, such that filling the vacancy becomes the responsibility of the high court.

The convened municipalities

The announcement affects 41 Soria localities, all for the position of substitute justice of the peace, with no permanent positions being called:

• Abejar, Ágreda, Alcubilla de Avellaneda, Alentisque, Alpanseque, Arenillas, Ausejo de la Sierra, Bayubas de Arriba, Bliecos, Cabrejas del Campo, Calatañazor, Caltojar, Cañamaque, Carabantes, Casarejos, Centenera de Andaluz, Cigudosa, Cihuela, Cubilla, Deza, Espejón, Fuentelmonge, Gómara, Herrera de Soria, Las Aldehuelas, Matamala de Almazán, Molinos de Duero, Montenegro de Cameros, Muriel de la Fuente, Nafría de Ucero, Oncala, Quintana Redonda, Rollamienta, San Esteban de Gormaz, San Pedro Manrique, Santa María de las Hoyas, Tardelcuende, Ucero, Vadillo, Velilla de la Sierra, and Vinuesa.

The list combines regional centers with very small town halls, distributed across the regions of Pinares, Tierras Altas, the Duero valley, and the Almazán area.

Requirements and application deadline

Applications must be sent directly to the High Court of Justice of Castilla y León, to the Secretariat of Government, within fifteen days following the publication of the edict. Each application must include:

• A declaration by the interested party stating that they are not subject to any cause of incompatibility or incapacity.
• A photocopy of the DNI (National ID).

Regulation 3/1995 generally requires being a Spanish citizen, of legal age, and not being subject to the causes of incapacity under Article 303 of the Organic Law of the Judiciary nor the incompatibilities under Article 389 of the same law.

Impact on proximity justice

The call for applications affects a large part of the province: 41 municipalities, many of them small and without their own court, depend on the justice of the peace to resolve everyday conflicts without traveling to the capital. The absence of candidates in the ordinary process forces the court to resort to direct appointment, meaning that the response from residents over the next fifteen days will determine whether those vacancies are filled or remain open.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Soria, no. 112, September 25, 2026, Administration of Justice, pp. 3307-3308 (official reference: BOPSO-112-25092026).