The TSJC appoints ten justices of the peace in seven municipalities of Lleida

The Governing Chamber of the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) has appointed ten justices of the peace for seven municipalities in the province of Lleida: five as principals and five as substitutes. The agreement was adopted in the session of September 22, 2026, and was made public through an edict in the Official Gazette of the Province of Lleida (BOP) no. 202, corresponding to October 22, 2026, with edict number 8793 and official reference BOP-2026_0_202_8793 (pp. 1-2).

The appointments affect four judicial districts in the territory: Balaguer, Cervera, La Seu d’Urgell, and Tremp. The beneficiary municipalities are Bellcaire d’Urgell, Montoliu de Segarra, Ribera d’Urgellet, Valls d’Aguilar, Alt Àneu, Baix Pallars, and Llimiana, distributed among the counties of l’Urgell, la Segarra, l’Alt Urgell, and el Pallars Sobirà.

The edict recalls that the duration of the mandate is computed from the publication of the appointment in the official provincial gazette and is for a period of four years. The applied regulation is Regulation 3/1995, of June 7, on justices of the peace, in its articles 8 and 11.

Five principals for five municipalities

The designated principal justices of the peace are as follows:

• Vicent Font Bernaus, principal of Bellcaire d’Urgell (Balaguer judicial district).
• Ignacio Martin Abellan, principal of Ribera d’Urgellet (La Seu d’Urgell judicial district).
• Jaume Guàrdia Espuñes, principal of Valls d’Aguilar (La Seu d’Urgell judicial district).
• Isaac Villegas Rodríguez, principal of Alt Àneu (Tremp judicial district).
• Maria Aroa Yagüe Medina, principal of Baix Pallars (Tremp judicial district).

These five positions cover the first instance of proximity in small municipalities, where the justice of the peace assumes functions of conciliation, civil registry, and judicial assistance.

Five substitutes to cover absences and vacancies

The Governing Chamber has also designated the substitutes, who must assume the functions when the principal cannot exercise them:

• Salvador Balcells Florensa, substitute of Montoliu de Segarra (Cervera judicial district).
• Yolanda Rubio Parra, substitute of Ribera d’Urgellet (La Seu d’Urgell judicial district).
• Pedro Casals Orteu, substitute of Valls d’Aguilar (La Seu d’Urgell judicial district).
• Victòria Vilalta Martí, substitute of Alt Àneu (Tremp judicial district).
• Alvaro Martinez Rodriguez, substitute of Llimiana (Tremp judicial district).

In this way, all municipalities with a principal appointment also have a substitute, except for Llimiana, where only the substitute position has been designated, and Montoliu de Segarra, where the published appointment corresponds solely to the substitute.

Twenty days to take office and one month to appeal

According to the edict, the appointed justices of the peace must take office within a period of twenty calendar days following the date of publication of the appointment in the official provincial bulletin. They must do so by taking the oath or promise provided for before the judge of first instance and instruction of the district, or before the dean if there is more than one.

An administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) may be filed before the Plenary of the General Council of the Judiciary against the agreement of the Commission of the Governing Chamber within a period of one month. The edict is signed by the Government Secretary of the TSJC, Joaquim Martínez Sánchez, with an electronic signature date of October 17, 2026.

The text also indicates that the publication complies with the personal data protection criteria within the scope of the Administration of Justice, in accordance with articles 236 bis and following of the Organic Law of the Judiciary and Instruction 6/2012 of the General Secretariat of the Administration of Justice.

Impact on proximity justice

Justices of the peace are the first point of access to justice in municipalities without a court of first instance, and their coverage is especially sensitive in mountain areas and areas of dispersed population such as Pallars Sobirà and Alt Urgell. With these ten appointments, seven municipalities in the Lleida district are covered for a four-year term, ensuring the continuity of the conciliation and legal aid services in the affected towns.

Source: Official Bulletin of the Province of Lleida, no. 202, October 22, 2026, Administration of Justice - Superior Courts of Justice, pp. 1-2 (official reference: BOP-2026_0_202_8793).