Spain's Guardia Civil and Courts Introduce New Personnel Protocols

On 24 June 2026, the Directorate General of the Guardia Civil held a working group meeting to draft revisions to the internal rules and protocol governing certain conduct by civil guard personnel. Representatives of the Independent Guardia Civil (IGC) presented observations, many of which the administration accepted, aiming to enhance legal certainty by clarifying definitions, unifying terms and adding immediate psychological support. IGC also advocated for a non‑exhaustive conduct guide, a risk‑assessment form, extension of media‑use restrictions to official phones, a witness during protocol notification, and pre‑protocol advice from the psychology service.

A separate circular (M‑57/2026) issued on 26 July 2026 by the dean of the Ilustre Colegio de la Abogacía de León and the president of the Astorga Court of First Instance set new parking arrangements for lawyers on guard duty. Starting 1 July, such lawyers may use staff parking spaces after obtaining a stamped “letrado de guardia” document from security, replacing the previous system of parking cards. The measure aims to streamline access and address parking shortages for on‑call legal professionals.