Catalan judiciary leaders demand tougher weapon laws and housing tools

Weapon proliferation and penal response

During the opening of the judicial year at the Palau de Justícia in Barcelona on Friday, Catalonia's Superior Prosecutor Francisco Bañeres called for a review of Spanish criminal sanctions governing weapon possession. Bañeres linked the appeal directly to an incident on Thursday night in Terrassa, where two Civil Guard officers sustained injuries in a shootout while pursuing suspected truck thieves. Pointing to the spread of both firearms and bladed weapons among organized groups, Bañeres questioned whether the existing Penal Code provides a sufficiently forceful deterrent. The remarks aligned with a legislative initiative recently announced in the Catalan Parliament by President Salvador Illa, under which the PSC will propose increasing sentences across three articles of the Penal Code. The proposal raises penalties for possessing prohibited or modified weapons from the current 1–3 years to 2–4 years, unlicensed handguns from 1–2 years to 18 months–3 years, and unlicensed long firearms from 6–12 months to 6–18 months.

Shifts in Catalan crime data

The prosecutor's annual report outlined mixed security indicators across Catalonia. Homicides dropped from 68 in 2024 to 55 in 2025. However, attempted homicides climbed by 13% over the same interval, and negligent homicides increased by 20%. Offences against sexual freedom maintained an upward trajectory, with sexual assaults increasing by approximately 9% in 2025. In juvenile justice, crimes committed by minors grew by 4.5% overall, driven by a 17% rise in robberies involving violence or intimidation. Bañeres noted that these categories require continuous vigilance from law enforcement and judicial authorities across the region.

Demands for housing legislation

High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC) President Mercè Caso dedicated a substantial portion of her address to the social impact of the housing crisis. Speaking as Spanish lawmakers in Madrid debate anti-eviction decrees following public protests over the eviction of octogenarian Mari Carmen, Caso urged parliamentarians to equip judges with versatile legal instruments to manage eviction cases equitably. She cited the prior protocol signed between the Barcelona court deanery and the Barcelona City Council, which previously served as a model for national legislation.

It is difficult to talk about peace if minimum rights are not guaranteed, and housing is one of them.

Structural court backlog and staffing deficits

Caso also addressed capacity constraints across Catalan courts, where 1.29 million new cases were filed in 2025, marking a 1.9% rise from the preceding year. Over a five-year period, incoming litigation surged by 28.3%, while the number of judicial organs expanded by only 3%. While acknowledging that a royal decree will establish 91 new judicial positions in Catalonia between December 2026 and November 2027, Caso stated that structural retention issues continue to deplete magistrate rosters during judicial transfers. Regarding the Organic Law 1/2025 on Judicial Efficiency implemented last year, Caso stated that procedural restructuring cannot succeed without complete administrative teams, proper training, and reliable case management software.