New justices of the peace for Lobeira, Coles, and Melón for four years

The Governing Chamber Commission of the High Court of Justice of Galicia (TSXG) has agreed to the appointment of three new justices of the peace for three municipalities in the province of Ourense, for a period of four years. The agreement, adopted at the meeting on July 23, 2026, was made public in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense on September 30, 2026, through three edicts from the Government Secretariat. The appointments apply to Lobeira and Coles, which will each have a titular justice of the peace, and to Melón, where a substitute justice is designated.

The framework for the decision is Article 101.5 of the Organic Law of the Judiciary, which regulates the appointment of justices of the peace and the conditions of their practice. According to the edicts, the candidates were chosen by the plenums of the respective municipalities with the favorable vote of the absolute majority of their members, a prerequisite for the Governing Chamber of the TSXG to formalize the appointment. The Governing Chamber Commission thus acts upon the municipal proposals and provides legal coverage for a figure that assumes proximity justice competencies in municipalities without a court of first instance.

The three edicts share literally the same operative text and only differ in the municipality, the appointed person, and the registration reference. All are dated July 30, 2026, in A Coruña and are signed by the Government Secretary, Juan José Martín Álvarez.

The three appointments

• Lobeira: titular justice of the peace, Rosa Elisa Álvarez Domínguez (DNI 34***391C), reference R. 2.218.
• Coles: titular justice of the peace, María Isabel Boimorto Figueiral (DNI 20***773S), reference R. 2.219.
• Melón: substitute justice of the peace, Manuel Rodríguez Rodríguez (DNI 44***789L), reference R. 2.217.

In all cases, the mandate is for four years, the term established by regulations for the exercise of these positions.

Assumption of office and deadlines

Those appointed must take office at the judicial office of the municipality for which they were designated and before the person who had been exercising jurisdiction. The deadline is 20 calendar days starting from the day following the publication of the appointment in the corresponding provincial gazette.

Before assuming office, each must take an oath or promise before the judge of the respective court of instance, in the manner provided for in Article 101.5 of the Organic Law of the Judiciary.

The edicts also contemplate the case of incompatibility: anyone who falls under it must choose, within eight days, the position they are interested in.

Appeals against the agreement

Against the appointment agreement, interested parties may file an administrative appeal (recurso de alzada) before the General Council of the Judiciary within one month starting from the day following the publication of the edict.

The publication in the Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense on September 30, 2026, is, therefore, the starting point for the deadlines for both the assumption of office and the challenging of the appointment.

The renewal of these positions guarantees the continuity of proximity justice in Lobeira, Coles, and Melón, three municipalities that depend on justices of the peace for daily procedures such as prior conciliation, the celebration of civil marriages, or the performance of proceedings by delegation. The entry into force of the appointments, once the deadlines for swearing-in and possession have been met, prevents these judicial offices from remaining without a titular head or a substitute and ensures service to residents without the need to travel to the capital.

Source: Official Gazette of the Province of Ourense, September 30, 2026, section V. Courts and Tribunals (official reference: R. 2.217, R. 2.218 and R. 2.219).