Archive · 28 Oct 2025
Spain's Cabinet Approves Bill to Shift Criminal Investigations to Prosecutors
Spain is trying to update its old-fashioned rules for how crimes are investigated.
Right now, judges, who are supposed to be fair deciders, also lead the investigations, which is a bit like a referee also being a player.
The government wants to change this so that special lawyers called prosecutors, who are trained to investigate, will be in charge of looking into crimes.
Judges will still watch over the prosecutors to make sure they follow the rules and respect people's rights.
This change is meant to make Spain's system like those in many other countries.
Also, the government wants to stop groups like political parties from starting investigations themselves, only allowing specific organizations with a real connection to the case to do so.
Spain's cabinet approved a bill to shift criminal investigations from court magistrates to prosecutors.
The reform aims to modernize Spain's 1882-era criminal justice system, aligning it with most European peers.
Judges will retain oversight, supervising prosecutors and having the power to revoke their decisions.
The bill also seeks to restrict the role of private prosecutions, removing the right of political parties and trade unions to initiate investigations.
Opposition parties and conservative groups have criticized the reform, arguing it undermines judicial independence.
- Who
- Spain's cabinet, led by the minority leftist administration
- What
- Approved a bill to shift the lead of criminal investigations from court magistrates to prosecutors, and to limit private prosecutions.
- When
- Tuesday
- Where
- Spain
- Why
- To adapt the Spanish criminal justice system to align with most other democracies, where judges judge and prosecutors investigate, and to limit the use of private prosecutions by political parties and trade unions.
- Date Approved
- Tuesday
- Current Law
- 1882 law where investigating magistrates lead probes
- Proposed Change
- Prosecutors to lead criminal investigations
- Judicial Oversight
- Judges will supervise prosecutors and can revoke decisions
- Private Prosecutions
- Role limited to certain associations with legitimate link; political parties and trade unions removed