Valencian justice: more money, but deadlines remain eternal

The Valencian Community increases the Justice budget by 5.6%, reaching 612.9 million, with promises of digitalization and support for victims. It sounds good on paper. But the increase does not solve the chronic shortage of judges, prosecutors, and staff. New computers are useless if there is no one to operate them, and psychological care remains insufficient for those waiting two years for a verdict.

A judge’s empty chair in a modern courtroom, a single outdated desktop computer monitor glowing with a loading cursor, stacks of unprocessed case files piled high on the desk, a digital clock on the wall showing 23:59:59 frozen, a broken keyboard with missing keys next to a dusty printer, cinematic photorealistic technical illustration, cold blue fluorescent overhead lighting highlighting dust particles in the air, contrast between the new monitor cables and the worn wooden furniture, dramatic shadows emphasizing stagnation, ultra-detailed hardware textures

Digitalization without staff: the technological mirage of justice 🖥️

Investing in judicial technology is necessary, but not enough. Without a plan to hire more staff and provide physical resources to the courts, digitalization only masks reality. Advanced computer systems clash with a lack of maintenance and qualified personnel. The result is a backlog of files, extended deadlines, and a justice system that promises agility but delivers slowness. Money does not replace people.

Swift justice: a luxury only some can afford ⏳

Now it turns out that having a trial in less than two years is almost a privilege. They raise the budget, but deadlines rise even more. Next time someone waits for a verdict, they can console themselves thinking that at least the courthouse computer will be new. Meanwhile, the victim psychologist will continue juggling to attend to a hundred people per shift. Justice is a right, but here it seems more like a lottery: let's see who gets to wait less.