Calculate the expiry date of the main time limits in Spanish criminal procedure. Procedural time limits are counted in working days under Article 182 of the Judiciary Act, so Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays are excluded, and the period starts on the day following service.

How criminal procedural time limits are counted

Article 182 of the Judiciary Act excludes Saturdays, Sundays, 24 and 31 December, national and local public holidays from the count of procedural time limits. The month of August is inhabile for civil proceedings but remains fully operative in criminal matters.

Article 133 of the Civil Procedure Act, applicable on a supplementary basis, provides that periods start to run on the day following service and expire at midnight on the last day. Where the last day falls on a non-working day, the period is extended to the next working day.

Time limits covered by the calculator

• Appeal against an interlocutory decision (recurso de reforma), Art. 211 LECrim: Three working days from service of the decision.
• Appeal to a higher court against an interlocutory decision (recurso de apelación), Art. 212 LECrim: Five working days from service, or from notice of the decision on the reforma appeal.
• Appeal against a judgment in abbreviated proceedings, Art. 790 LECrim: Ten working days from service of the judgment.
• Appeal against a judgment in fast-track proceedings, Art. 803 LECrim: Ten working days from service of the judgment.
• Preparation of a cassation appeal, Art. 856 LECrim: Five working days from service of the judgment being appealed.
• Defence statement in abbreviated proceedings, Art. 784 LECrim: Ten working days from service of the indictment.
• Appeal against a judgment for a minor offence, Art. 976 LECrim: Five working days from service of the judgment.
• Habeas corpus application, Organic Law 6/1984: There is no waiting period. The court must rule within twenty-four hours of the application.

This tool applies the general rules of the Criminal Procedure Act and the Judiciary Act. It does not incorporate the local holiday calendar of each judicial district, so the result must be checked against the calendar of the competent court.