National contacts

Law Enforcement Agencies

The IP crimes’ investigation fall under the compentence of General Commissariat of Judicial Police and Guardia Civil. Within General Commissariat of the Judicial Police, Central Brigade for the Investigation of Specialized Crime of Central Unit of Specialized and Violent Crime is responsible for the investigation and prosecution of IP crimes. Within Guardia Civil, Economic Crimes Group at Technical Unit of Judicial Police (UTPJ) investigate IP crimes.

Prosecution

The prosecution of the IP from fall under the competencies of the Special Prosecutor’s Office against Corruption and Organised Crime.

Judiciary

There are no specialised courts on IP crimes. In civil cases, the IP cases are heard by court of first instance in Alicante. There are two designated divisions of the courts of appeal in Barcelona and in Bilbao that only hear IP matters.

Criminal cases fall under general court system. The general courts are organised in a three-tier system:

• Provincial Courts;
• High Courts;
• National Criminal and Administrative Court;
• The Supreme Court.

Judicial libraries

PODER JUDICIAL – JUDICIARY

This is a public and free database. Registration is not required.

C.G.P.J | Servicios | Bibliotecas judiciales | Catálogo colectivo

Selected judgments from:

• Courts of First Instance and Preliminary Investigation (1st instance)
• Administrative Courts (1st instance)
• Provincial Courts (2nd instance)
• High Courts of Justice (2nd instance)
• Supreme Court (3rd instance).

Other available resources:

• information and news concerning Spanish courts, by region,
• access to the collective catalogue of judicial libraries,
• access to judicial publications.