Article 390 Spanish Criminal Code: Forgery of public documents by officials

Article 390 punishes the public authority or official who, in the exercise of official functions, commits forgery by altering an essential element of a document, by simulating a document, by supposing the intervention of persons or by departing from the truth in the narration of the facts.

Wording of Article 390 of the Spanish Criminal Code

1. The public authority or official who, in the exercise of official functions, commits forgery shall be punished with imprisonment of three to six years, a fine of six to twenty four months and special disqualification for a term of two to six years:

1. By altering a document in one of its essential elements or requirements.

2. By simulating a document in whole or in part, in such a way as to induce error as to its authenticity.

3. By supposing in an act the intervention of persons who have not taken part in it, or by attributing to those who have taken part in it declarations or statements different from those which they made.

4. By departing from the truth in the narration of the facts.

2. The person responsible for any religious denomination who engages in any of the forms of conduct described in the preceding numbers, in respect of acts and documents capable of producing an effect upon the status of persons or upon the civil order, shall be punished with the same penalties as those indicated in the preceding paragraph.

Working translation prepared by Société Juridique from the consolidated Spanish text published by the Official State Gazette. It has no official status: the only authoritative version is the Spanish original, available at the Official State Gazette and reproduced verbatim in our Spanish-language entry for this provision. Source: Organic Law 10/1995 of 23 November, the Spanish Criminal Code.

Sentencing range. Imprisonment of three to six years, a fine of six to twenty four months and special disqualification for two to six years. Where the conduct is committed by gross negligence, Article 391 applies with a fine and suspension.

Elements of the offence

The status of public authority or official, and the commission of the act in the exercise of official functions.
One of the four forms of forgery described in paragraph 1.
The essential character of the element altered, in the case of number 1, since the alteration of a non essential element is not punishable.
Intent, since negligent conduct falls under Article 391 with a substantially lower penalty.

Defence strategy

Essential character of the alteration. Number 1 requires the alteration of an essential element or requirement. A correction of a date, a typographical error or the addition of data which do not affect the legal effect of the document does not satisfy that requirement, and the point is habitually resolved by comparison of the versions.

Departing from the truth in the narration. Number 4 is the most frequently charged and the most restrictively construed. The case law requires the untruth to affect the essential function of the document and excludes assessments, opinions and the reproduction of statements made by others.

Reclassification as negligence. Article 391 punishes the same conduct committed by gross negligence with a fine and suspension. Where the error resulted from a defective procedure or from information supplied by third parties, that reclassification removes the custodial penalty altogether.

Whether the person is a public official. The concept of a public official for these purposes is a functional one. Establishing that the person concerned did not participate in the exercise of public functions transfers the conduct to Articles 392 and 395, with a far lower frame.

Are you under investigation or facing charges in Spain? Société Juridique acts for foreign nationals throughout Spain, with offices in Alicante and Madrid and a 24-hour custody line. +34 669 30 21 13 or enquire online.

This entry is provided for information only and does not constitute legal advice. The application of any provision depends on the circumstances of the individual case and requires examination of the case file by a qualified lawyer.

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