The new president of the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha (TSJCM), Pilar Astray, has taken on her new mandate with the challenge of reversing the shortage of judges in the region, which continues to be the Autonomous Community with the lowest ratio of judges per inhabitant in the country, with 10.1 judges per 100,000 inhabitants.
This was indicated by Astray herself in a press conference held at the Provincial Court of Ciudad Real after the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ) agreed on Wednesday to appoint her as president of the TSJCM for a period of five years.
In her first statements after her appointment, Astray emphasized the need to strengthen the judicial staff in Castilla-La Mancha to ensure a more agile and effective justice system.
An increase in personnel that, as she acknowledged, is also necessary in the provincial courts, especially in those of Toledo and Ciudad Real, which require a greater number of magistrates.
The new president has pointed out that the shortage of judges is not the only problem affecting the administration of justice in the region. Judicial infrastructures present numerous deficiencies, with old buildings that are, in many cases, obsolete or deteriorated, impacting the performance of judicial work and citizen service.
Another major challenge posed by Astray is the digitization of justice, a process she considers essential to improve judicial efficiency.
In this new mandate, the TSJCM will also have to face the legal reform that increases judges’ competencies to deal with all sexual crimes against women, which will result in a 20% increase in the workload of many courts in the region, according to statistics.
«In some cases, this increase will be manageable, but in others, where the courts were already at their limit, it may be necessary to provide them with more resources or even convert them into exclusive gender-based violence courts,» warned Astray, citing the province of Guadalajara as one of the most affected.
Additionally, she highlighted that her mandate will coincide with the implementation of the new organizational model for the trial courts and the new organizational structure of the judicial system, a significant challenge for the administration of justice in Castilla-La Mancha.
CRITICISMS OF THE «DEMOCRATIZATION» OF JUSTICE LAW
In response to questions from the media, Astray also commented on the Draft Law for the Expansion and Strengthening of the Judicial and Fiscal Careers, a text that has generated criticisms and doubts among judges.
The president of the TSJCM expressed concern about some aspects of the reform, especially those affecting judicial independence.
In this regard, she pointed out as one of the most controversial points the new political interference in the Judicial Ethics Committee, a body that until now was composed solely of judges elected by their peers.
«The proposal to include professors appointed by the Senate and the Congress may increase the perception of politicization of justice, something that does not foster citizen trust in the system,» she warned.
Astray expressed her hope that, during the parliamentary process, those aspects of the draft law that could compromise the judges’ performance will be modified or eliminated, emphasizing the importance of preserving the independence of the Judiciary to ensure its impartiality and effectiveness.
FIRST WOMAN AT THE HELM OF THE PRESIDENCY OF THE TSJCM
With her appointment on Wednesday by the CGPJ, Pilar Astray becomes the first woman to preside over the Superior Court of Justice of Castilla-La Mancha, succeeding Vicente Rouco, who has been at the helm of the TSJCM for the last 20 years.
Astray, born in La Coruña, began her judicial career in 1990 and has served as a judge at the Provincial Court of Ciudad Real since 2002. She has also been a member of the Governing Chamber of the TSJCM by election.
Astray’s appointment came after deliberation by the CGPJ, which also considered the candidacy of María Jesús Alarcón, president of the Provincial Court of Ciudad Real since 2010. Both candidates presented their proposals to the Qualification Committee of the CGPJ on December 17, 2024.