Spanish Justice Council Appoints Four Jurists as Substitute Magistrates for Andorra

The Superior Council of Justice has appointed four Spanish jurists—Víctor Correas Sitjes, Clara Carulla Terricabras, Maria Lluïsa Maurel Santasusana, and Hugo Novales Bilbao—as substitute magistrates following a merit competition launched in March and open to professionals from neighbouring countries.

The appointees, who topped the scoring in the process, include three Catalans and Novales from Huesca in Aragon. Correas works as a magistrate in the fourth section of Girona's Provincial Court, focusing on sexual and gender-based violence cases; he also teaches criminal law at the University of Girona, provided training to Andorran police officers last year, and gave a talk in the General Council's lobby. Carulla entered Spain's judiciary in 2001 and served as a magistrate until 2015, later joining the Spanish Judicial School where she has acted as interim director since 2024; she holds the role of general secretary in the Ibero-American Network of Judicial Schools (RIAEJ), carries Council of Europe accreditation as a human rights trainer, and has advised on international projects—currently, she sits as a magistrate in the third section of Tarragona's Provincial Court after delivering a session in Andorra last month on the Code of Civil Procedure. Maurel, who gained prominence in Catalonia for her role in the high-profile "cas Tamara" linked to CDR protests, now serves as a judge in Barcelona's Instance Court's juvenile section within the criminal jurisdiction. Novales, who moved to Girona in June 2000, previously acted as dean of Girona's courts while heading its social court number 1 until 2014, then took up the post of examining magistrate at Barcelona's instruction court number 4; he also led Girona's commercial court earlier in his career.

The agreement, signed by Council president Josep Maria Rossell, became public yesterday and appeared in an extraordinary edition of the Official Gazette (BOPA) this morning.