Section 33rd AP Madrid: specialization in gender violence from December 2026

Key data

From December 31, 2026, appeal resources in matters of violence against women in Madrid will no longer be distributed among different sections of the Provincial Court: all that competence passes, exclusively and excluding, to the newly created Section 33rd. The agreement was adopted on September 29, 2026 by the Permanent Commission of the General Council of the Judicial Power (CGPJ) under articles 80.3, 82 and 82 bis 2 of the Organic Law 6/1985, of July 1, of the Judicial Power.

Section 33rd was created by Royal Decree 559/2026, of July 8, within the plan to create 500 new judicial units promoted by the Government. The specialization now attributed to it seeks to concentrate technical knowledge and improve jurisprudential coherence in these matters within the territorial scope of Madrid.

What does this regulation establish?

The CGPJ agreement attributes to Section 33rd of the Provincial Court of Madrid the exclusive and excluding specialization in the knowledge of matters concerning violence against women. This means two specific things:

• Exclusive: only this section will know of these matters, without any other section of the Provincial Court of Madrid being able to do so.
• Excluding: Section 33rd will not know of any other matter; its activity is entirely reserved for violence against women.

The measure centralizes in a single body all appeal resources that, until now, could be distributed among different sections of the Provincial Court of Madrid. The stated objective is to improve the technical specialization of judges and guarantee more uniform jurisprudence in this matter.

Operational and procedural impact

For legal operators working in Madrid, the change has immediate practical consequences:

• Ongoing procedures: appeal resources filed from December 31, 2026 in matters of gender violence must be directed to Section 33rd. Procedures already initiated may be affected in their processing.
• Deadlines: centralization in a single section can generate an initial accumulation of cases, with the consequent impact on resolution times. Law firms must anticipate possible variations in response times.
• Court specialization: concentration in a specialized body can result in more technical and predictable rulings, which affects the procedural strategy of defense and prosecution.
• Internal organization of law firms: lawyers and solicitors managing gender violence cases in Madrid must update their monitoring systems to correctly identify the competent section from the date of entry into force.

Who does it affect?

• Lawyers and solicitors with gender violence cases in the Provincial Court of Madrid.
• Victims of gender violence with procedures in appeal phase or who will initiate them in Madrid.
• Defendants in violence against women procedures in Madrid who have or foresee appeal resources.
• Prosecutors assigned to the Provincial Court of Madrid in matters of gender violence.
• Law firms with practice in criminal law and gender violence in the territorial scope of Madrid.
• Courts of Violence against Women in Madrid, whose appealed rulings will go to Section 33rd.

Practical example

A law firm in Madrid currently handles three gender violence procedures in appeal phase before the Provincial Court. Until December 31, 2026, those resources are processed in the section that corresponds by ordinary distribution. From that date, any new appeal resource in this matter must be filed before the Section 33rd, regardless of which section handled the case in the first instance of appeal.

If the firm has a resource that it plans to file in January 2027, it must verify that its brief and associated documentation are correctly directed to Section 33rd. An error in identifying the competent section can generate unnecessary delays or procedural defects that harm its client.

What should legal operators do now?

1. Review ongoing procedures: identify all gender violence cases in appeal phase or with resources planned in the Provincial Court of Madrid and assess how the change of competent section affects them from December 31, 2026.
2. Update law firm management systems: register Section 33rd as the competent body for all appeal resources in gender violence in Madrid from the date of entry into force.
3. Inform affected clients: communicate to victims and defendants with ongoing procedures the possible effects on deadlines and processing resulting from centralization in the new section.
4. Anticipate possible case accumulations: in the first months of operation of Section 33rd, a concentration of resources may occur, which could extend resolution deadlines. Plan accordingly.
5. Follow the jurisprudence of Section 33rd: as it is a specialized and exclusive body, its rulings will set the jurisprudential line in Madrid. Monitor its first sentences to adapt procedural strategy.

Official source

Consult complete regulation in official source

Notice: This article is merely informative in nature 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-2026-21028