If you have a legal deadline coming up over the Christmas period in Spain, this affects you. Every year, from December 24th to January 6th (both dates included), the days are treated as non-working days for court and legal proceedings.
This is not new for 2023, it was the same the year before, though back then it was tied to pandemic measures. From 2023, the rule now comes from an amendment introduced by PSOE and UP as part of the sedition law reform, which changed Spain's 1985 Judiciary Law. Article 183 of that law now also makes every day in August a non-working day, on top of the Christmas period.
What this means for you
During these dates, court deadlines effectively pause. Judicial actions do not move forward, except for matters that are legally classed as urgent. The General Council of the Judiciary can also authorize certain other actions to go ahead during this period if needed.
If you have a case in progress or a deadline you are worried about, it is worth checking whether it falls into the "urgent" category, since those are handled even during this non-working stretch.
