New deadline to become a Judge via criminal law: 20 days to apply for position

Key data

If you are a jurist with more than ten years of experience in the criminal order and have aspirations to access the Judicial Career as Judge, this modification opens a window of opportunity that expires in 20 business days. The Plenary of the General Council of the Judicial Power (CGPJ) has partially upheld a motion for reconsideration against the original June 2026 call, modifying a key requirement that may change who can apply.

The regulatory reference is the Agreement of 30 September 2026, published in the BOE on 3 October 2026 (BOE-A-2026-20544), effective from the following day.

What does this regulation establish?

The original June 2026 call established the requirements for jurists specializing in the criminal order to access the Judicial Career with the rank of Judge. Following the partial upholding of the motion for reconsideration, the Plenary of the CGPJ introduces a specific change in the second basis, point 3.b):

This change, apparently minor, has a relevant practical effect: by replacing "exclusively" with "expressly", the qualification requirement for belonging to the bodies that accredit valid experience is made more flexible. The result is that a greater number of jurists can be enabled to compete.

As a direct consequence of this modification, the call establishes a new application submission deadline of 20 business days counted from the day following publication in the BOE, that is, from 4 October 2026.

Economic and operational impact

This regulation does not generate direct costs for private companies. Its impact is professional and career-related for the affected jurists, with operational implications for public administrations that manage the bodies involved.

For potential candidates, the impact is twofold:

• Expanded opportunity: The change in wording may enable jurists who were excluded from the June 2026 call for not strictly meeting the qualification requirement under the previous wording.
• Deadline urgency: Those who have already submitted applications and wish to review their candidacy in light of the new criterion, or those who have not yet submitted, have a limited 20 business day deadline. After that deadline, there will be no second opportunity in this call.

For public administrations with legal officials in the affected bodies, the operational impact consists of managing possible applications from their employees who wish to compete, with the compatibility and replacement implications that this entails.

Who does it affect?

The modification directly affects the following groups of jurists with more than ten years of professional practice in matters of the criminal jurisdictional order:

• Prosecutors with accredited experience in the criminal order.
• Court administrators with a track record in the criminal field.
• State attorneys who accredit practice in criminal matters.
• Legal officials of public administrations belonging to bodies whose membership accredits valid experience according to the second basis of the call.
• Private sector jurists (practicing lawyers, for example) who meet the requirement of more than ten years in criminal law and the other requirements of the call.

It also affects, indirectly, those who have already submitted applications in the June 2026 call and wish to review or complete their candidacy under the new criterion.

Practical example

Imagine a court administrator with 12 years of experience in criminal courts. Under the original wording of the second basis, point 3.b), their qualification for access to the body might not fit the "exclusively" required requirement, leaving them out of the June 2026 call.

With the new wording—"expressly"—the accreditation of valid experience is no longer restricted so strictly to a single qualification pathway. This court administrator can now review whether their profile fits the new criterion and, if so, submit their application during the new 20 business day deadline opened from 4 October 2026.

The same reasoning applies to a prosecutor or State attorney who in June 2026 did not submit a candidacy because they believed they did not meet the qualification requirement under the previous wording.

What should interested parties do now?

1. Verify if the change enables them: Review the second basis, point 3.b) of the modified call to check if the new wording ("expressly" instead of "exclusively") allows accrediting the required experience with their own qualification.
2. Calculate the exact deadline: The new 20 business day deadline begins on 4 October 2026. Count the business days to not miss the application submission deadline.
3. Prepare documentation: Gather documents that accredit more than ten years of professional practice in matters of the criminal jurisdictional order and membership in the corresponding body.
4. Review previous applications: Those who have already submitted applications in June 2026 should assess whether the regulatory change allows them to improve or complete their candidacy within the new deadline.
5. Consult with an administrative law specialist: Given that the change affects the interpretation of a technical requirement for access to public service, it is advisable to obtain specific legal advice before submitting the application.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific decisions, consult a qualified professional. Source: https://www.boe.es/diario_boe/txt.php?id=BOE-A-2026-20544