Judicial systems face administrative and archival crises in Spain and Mexico

The Bar Association of Huelva has issued an alert regarding an ‘unsustainable’ situation within the provincial justice administration in Spain. Decano Antonio Bernal reported that judicial functions are facing a state of ‘chaos’ due to unfilled vacancies, staff shortages, and inadequate infrastructure. Workloads in many offices reportedly exceed 150% of the established limits, leading to repeated hearing suspensions and significant delays in processing documents. These issues particularly impact sensitive areas such as domestic violence, family law, disability services, and civil registry.

In Mexico, the Judiciary of Morelos is facing a crisis involving the physical deterioration of historical records. Approximately two million files, some dating back over 100 years to the 1920s, are at risk due to constant humidity and fungal growth. Many documents are currently stored in poor conditions, including being stacked directly on floors due to lack of space. A multidisciplinary team and the General Archive of the Nation will assist in a planned intervention to inventory, clean, and digitize these records to establish a formal historical archive by 2027.