Article 963 Spanish Criminal Procedure Act: minor offences: dismissal or trial

Article 963 of the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act sets the initial crossroads of the minor-offence trial: on receiving the police report, the judge may dismiss and file the case at the prosecutor’s request where the act is of very low gravity and there is no relevant public interest, or order the immediate trial if those summoned appear and the evidence can be taken.

Wording of Article 963 of the Spanish Criminal Procedure Act

1. Upon receiving the police report as provided in the preceding article, if the judge considers the opening of the trial appropriate, they shall take one of the following decisions:

1. They shall order the dismissal of the proceedings and the filing of the case when so requested by the Public Prosecutor in view of the following circumstances:

a) the minor offence reported is of very low gravity in view of the nature of the act, its circumstances and the personal circumstances of the offender, and

b) there is no relevant public interest in the prosecution of the act. In minor property offences, no relevant public interest shall be deemed to exist where the damage has been repaired and there is no complaint by the injured party.

In that case, the clerk shall immediately notify the suspension of the trial to all those summoned under paragraph 1 of the preceding article.

The dismissal of the proceedings shall be notified to those offended by the minor offence.

2. They shall order the immediate holding of the trial where the persons summoned have appeared or where, even if some have not, the court deems their presence unnecessary. Likewise, in order to hold the trial immediately, the duty court shall consider whether the taking of any means of evidence deemed indispensable would be impossible.

2. In order to hold the trial immediately, the case must fall to the duty court under the rules on jurisdiction and case allocation.

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 governs dismissal on opportunity grounds and the immediate holding of minor-offence trials.

Decisions of the duty court

The Public Prosecutor’s dismissal request based on the very low gravity of the act and its circumstances.
The absence of relevant public interest, presumed in minor property offences where the damage was repaired and the injured party does not complain.
Notification of the dismissal to the offended parties and of the suspension to those summoned.
Immediate trial where those summoned appear or their presence is unnecessary, indispensable evidence can be taken and the case falls to the duty court.

Defence strategy

Activating the opportunity principle. Early reparation and the absence of a complaint trigger dismissal in minor property offences; addressing the request to the prosecutor before the hearing is the most profitable step in these cases.

Opposing harmful immediacy. Immediate trial requires that indispensable evidence can be taken; if an essential witness or report is missing, the defence should oppose trial on the spot and seek an ordinary date.

Checking duty-court jurisdiction. Immediacy requires that the case belong to the court under jurisdiction and allocation rules; their breach vitiates the trial held.

Preparing despite the urgency. Even in immediate trials the rights to evidence and to counsel apply; a documented request for suspension to prepare the defence preserves the appeal.

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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