A magistrate has requested the transfer of proceedings to the Central Investigating Court in Madrid, following the previous week’s decision by a Madrid court to recuse itself from the case.
The move signifies a shift in jurisdiction for the ongoing investigation, the details of which remain undisclosed. The Central Investigating Court, a division of the National Court (Audiencia Nacional), handles cases of significant national or international scope. According to information available from the Spanish Ministry of Justice, the Audiencia Nacional includes a Section of Instruction, operating from Calle García Gutiérrez, 1 in Madrid.
Spain’s judicial system is structured under the Organic Law of the Judiciary (Ley Orgánica del Poder Judicial – LOPJ), which mirrors the German system of judicial organization. The Spanish court system comprises civil, criminal, administrative, and social jurisdictions, with the latter including labor law. Notably, Spain does not have a separate financial jurisdiction. instead, these matters fall under the administrative courts. Each jurisdiction operates under its own procedural laws: the Ley de Enjuiciamiento Civil for civil cases, the Ley de Enjuiciamiento Penal for criminal cases – alongside the Organic Law regulating the criminal responsibility of minors – the Ley reguladora de la Jurisdicción Contencioso-Administrativa for administrative matters, and the Ley de Procedimiento Laboral for social and labor disputes. A reform proposal for social jurisdiction, the Ley reguladora de la Jurisdicción Social, is currently in the legislative process.
The Central Investigating Court operates under the authority of the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo), and also includes a Military Criminal Court as its fifth chamber. The Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional, TC) functions independently of these branches, similar to the role of the German Federal Constitutional Court.
The magistrate’s request for transfer suggests the case has been deemed to require the specialized jurisdiction and resources of the National Court. The Audiencia Nacional’s Section of Instruction can be contacted at 91 709 64 60 and 91 709 64 61, with email correspondence directed to audiencianacional.centralInstruccion1@justicia.es.
