The High Court of Extremadura appoints five justices of the peace in four municipalities

The Governing Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Extremadura agreed in its session on October 19, 2026, to the appointment of five justices of the peace, both titular and substitutes, in four municipalities of the province of Badajoz. The appointments are published in the Official Gazette of the Province of Badajoz number 206, corresponding to Tuesday, October 27, 2026, within the Administration of Justice section and under the heading of High Courts, with the body’s headquarters in Cáceres. Each designation has its own announcement: 4253/2026, 4254/2026, 4255/2026, 4256/2026, and 4257/2026.

The five announcements reproduce the same agreement of the Governing Chamber and the same regulatory formula: the appointment is adopted under Regulation number 3/1995, of June 7, on Justices of the Peace. The documents appear signed in Cáceres by the Secretary of Government of the Extremaduran high court, María Pilar García Rodríguez, and are made public “for general knowledge and subsequent effects.”

The five published appointments

The announcements detail the location, judicial district, and nature of the position:

• Valdecaballeros, judicial district of Herrera del Duque: María Pilar Abril Martín, titular justice of the peace (4254/2026).
• Valdecaballeros, judicial district of Herrera del Duque: Juan Rodríguez Oliva, substitute justice of the peace (4253/2026).
• Malcocinado, judicial district of Llerena: Manuel Ruiz Hernández, titular justice of the peace (4255/2026).
• Puebla de Obando, judicial district of Montijo: Juan Carballo Rodríguez, substitute justice of the peace (4256/2026).
• Salvaleón, judicial district of Jerez de los Caballeros: José Manuel Sánchez Cuenda, substitute justice of the peace (4257/2026).

Valdecaballeros is the only one of the four locations with double coverage in this process: the two announcements from the same day provide for both the titular and substitute positions. In Malcocinado, the published designation corresponds only to the titular position, while in Puebla de Obando and Salvaleón, the announcements refer solely to the substitute position.

Twenty calendar days to take office

The agreement establishes the regime for entering into office: those appointed must take office in accordance with article 20.1 of Regulation 3/1995, with the following requirements:

• A period of twenty calendar days counted from the date of publication of the appointment in the Official Gazette of the Province.
• Prior oath or promise before the Court of First Instance and Instruction of the corresponding judicial district.
• In the event that there are several judges in the district, the oath is taken before the Dean.

The calendar therefore begins with the insertion of the announcements in this Tuesday’s provincial bulletin, so that the five affected municipalities have the regulatory period to formalize the incorporation of their new justices of the peace.

Administrative Appeal before the General Council of the Judiciary

The announcements also include the challenge regime for the agreement of the Governing Chamber. An administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) before the General Council of the Judiciary may be filed against the resolution within a period of one month, in accordance with Article 12 of Regulation number 3/1995, of June 7, in conjunction with Article 14 of Regulation 1/2000, of the Governing Bodies of the Courts.

The written submission must comply with the grounds and forms provided for in Law 39/2015, of October 1, on the Common Administrative Procedure of Public Administrations. In any case, publication in the official bulletin is the requirement that activates both the period for taking office and the effectiveness of the appointment.

Judicial Coverage in Rural Areas

Justices of the peace are the closest judicial instance in municipalities that are not the head of a judicial district, and they assume both low-value jurisdictional functions and civil registry tasks within their jurisdiction. The simultaneous renewal of five positions in four localities of the province—two of them with judicial districts in Herrera del Duque, Llerena, Montijo, and Jerez de los Caballeros—ensures the continuity of service in sparsely populated towns, where these positions sustain a large part of the daily administrative and judicial activity. The filling of substitute positions is particularly relevant to avoid gaps in citizen service during the absences or leaves of the incumbents.

Source: Official Bulletin of the Province of Badajoz, No. 206, October 27, 2026, Administration of Justice (official reference: announcements 4253/2026, 4254/2026, 4255/2026, 4256/2026, and 4257/2026).