The meeting was attended by Victoria Ortega, President of the General Council of Spanish Law; Juan Carlos Estévez, president of the General Council of Attorneys of Spain; and Javier San Martín, president of the General Council of Official Colleges of Social Graduates.
This meeting dealt with various topics, such as the operation of the LexNET digital system, the General Statute of Spanish Law, the Organic Law of Defense Law, the regulation of free legal assistance, the Law on Judicial Fees, Civil and access system.
LexNET System Functionality and Security
The Minister indicated that one of the strategic projects of his portfolio is the modernization of the administration of justice, through the LexNET system. He referred to the wave of cyber attacks that that system was a victim last September 1.
In this regard, said that the problems were overcome and that the system currently operates with total normality. He noted that during the first four days of September the number of lawsuits filed through LexNET increased by 51% over the same period last year. Written submissions also increased by 27% in the same period.
Catalá indicated that from now on will be held monthly monitoring meetings to optimize the operation of electronic communications. It aims to improve the operability, security and benefits offered by the system, currently used by more than 230,000 professionals in the industry.
Justice reform projects
The meeting also addressed the issue of the Organic Law of Defense Law, which is one of the historical claims of Spanish lawyers. Currently, this standard is in the preliminary draft phase. This Law will include a catalog of rights and duties, both for citizens and lawyers.
On the other hand, the progress related to the Law on Judicial Fees was reviewed. In this regard, the issue of harmonization of procedural costs was raised, an issue that has become enormously complex after the professional fees were liberalized.
Likewise, we talked about the project to adapt the General Statute of Spanish Law; it is necessary to adjust it to the new jurisprudence and regulations that have been promulgated in recent years. Likewise, issues related to the simplification of procedures and the speeding up of payment of legal aid were discussed.
The 89 new judicial units
The ambitious plan of reform advanced by the Minister of Justice, Rafael Catalá also includes the creation of 89 new judicial units. Catalá himself announced it last July 26, during the Sectoral Conference with the counselors of Justice of the Autonomous Communities.
The Minister clarified that such units are intended to respond to the structural needs of the branch, which are a priority. They will be distributed throughout the national territory, depending on the workloads.
These measures are expected to increase the agility and efficiency of citizen service.
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