New Andorra Bar Dean Flags Digital Portal Access Issues

Margarida Marticella, the newly elected dean of the Col·legi d’Advocats de Andorra (CADA), has highlighted ongoing access issues with the Batllia’s new digital legal portal, which are complicating lawyers’ daily work.

In a recent interview on *Parlem-ne* on Diari TV, Marticella explained that while the system is a recent implementation, it originated from a Spanish programme and has yet to fully adapt to Andorran procedures. “Everything new needs time to settle in and adjust,” she said. “It comes from a Spanish system with Spanish procedural features, and until it aligns with Andorra’s processes, some elements are still missing.”

Professionals are particularly struggling to view documents and judgments. Marticella noted that unlike the previous digital case files, which were equally accessible to all parties, the new portal requires formal notifications before documents become visible. This forces lawyers to frequently contact the batlle to make submitted filings appear in the electronic dossier, leading to delays, added workloads, and challenges in scheduling. “It’s not true that the digital case file is equally visible to everyone,” she emphasised.

These shortcomings, she argued, undermine efficiency and hinder quick access to critical information, especially in urgent or complex cases where timely defence of citizens’ rights is essential.

Marticella also touched on artificial intelligence’s growing role in the legal field, saying it does not yet directly impact Andorran lawyers but is advancing rapidly. She pointed to Spain’s Obélex tool, which uses AI to automate jurisprudence searches, as an example of technology that could simplify tasks. Andorra’s current sentence search function remains cumbersome, she added.

The dean called for continued refinements to the portal, better coordination with the Batllia, and exploration of innovative tools to ensure digitalisation streamlines rather than obstructs judicial work. Her priority, she stressed, is safeguarding citizens’ rights through more secure and efficient professional practices.