Article 324 Spanish Criminal Procedure Act: time limits on the investigation

Article 324 of the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act caps the judicial investigation at twelve months from the opening of the case, extendable by successive periods of up to six months by reasoned order. Measures ordered after the period has run are invalid, which makes this provision one of the defence’s most effective control tools.

Wording of Article 324 of the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act

1. The judicial investigation shall be conducted within a maximum period of twelve months from the opening of the case.

If, before that period expires, it is found that the investigation cannot be completed, the judge, of their own motion or on application by a party and after hearing the parties, may order successive extensions for equal or shorter periods of six months.

Extensions shall be ordered by a reasoned decision setting out the causes that prevented completing the investigation in time, together with the specific measures still to be taken and their relevance. Refusal of an extension shall likewise be reasoned.

2. Investigative measures ordered before the expiry of the period or its extensions shall be valid, even if their results are received after it has run out.

3. If, before the expiry of the period or of any of its extensions, the investigating judge has not issued the decision referred to in paragraph 1, or if it is revoked on appeal, measures ordered from that date shall not be valid.

4. The judge shall close the investigation when satisfied it has fulfilled its purpose. Once the maximum period or its extensions have elapsed, the judge shall issue the order closing the investigation or, in the fast-track procedure, the decision that may be appropriate.

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: Royal Decree of 14 September 1882 approving the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act.

Effect. The provision imposes no penalty: it fixes the duration of the judicial investigation and deprives of validity the measures ordered once the period has run or the extension has been revoked.

Time limits and extensions

The maximum twelve-month period from the opening of the case.
Successive extensions, of six months or less, ordered of the court’s own motion or on application, after hearing the parties.
A reasoned order setting out the causes of delay, the pending measures and their relevance.
Validity of measures ordered before expiry even if received later, and invalidity of those ordered after.
Closure of the investigation once its purpose is fulfilled or the period exhausted.

Defence strategy

Computing the period rigorously. Time runs from the opening of the case, not from the attribution of the offence. Rebuilding the calendar of the case, with its extensions and notifications, is the first defence act in any long investigation.

Challenging boilerplate extensions. Extensions require stating the causes of delay and the specific pending measures with their relevance; stereotyped orders extending as a matter of routine are appealable.

Seeking invalidity of late measures. Measures ordered after expiry or after revocation of the extension are invalid; expelling them from the case can dismantle the prosecution.

Forcing closure. Once the period is exhausted the closing order must follow; the defence may demand it and appeal the investigating judge’s inaction, cutting off open-ended investigations.

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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