The corridors of the Canary Islands' judicial administration are experiencing an unusual flurry of activity this second week of March, with dates being moved and scaffolding erected. In an administrative twist that blends high-level legislative politics with more mundane maintenance, the islands' judicial staff have received news that many are calling a "lifeline": their 2025 vacations have been given a second life.
It all stems from a name that has resonated strongly on the intranet: NUMO. The implementation of this new operating model, derived from Organic Law 1/2025, has been so extensive that it has disrupted the civil servants' work schedule for the past year. And all this amidst ongoing construction: Between the extension of vacations and the start of the renovations, the courts in southern Gran Canaria are facing a three-month transition period.
The CO.BAS union has already circulated the circular so that no one is misled: there will be noise, there will be apologies, and above all, there will be an exodus of staff to the island's beaches in the middle of June to use up those 2025 vacation days that the law, for a moment, almost eliminated. It is extremely rare for the Administration to allow vacation periods from two different years to overlap until almost halfway through the following year. The "culprit" is Organic Law 1/2025, which seems to have revolutionized the foundations of the Canary Islands' justice system.
The consequence is as curious as it is exceptional: the Directorate General for Relations with the Administration of Justice has had to issue a resolution to "stretch" time. By order of the Director General, vacation days and personal days for 2025 that were considered lost can be taken until June 30, 2026. This is a full-fledged vacation reprieve that will allow court managers, clerks, and support staff to take a break just as the summer of 2026 is approaching.
But while some are planning their "resurrected" vacations, the main courthouse in San Bartolomé de Tirajana is preparing for a forced makeover. Maintenance work on the building officially began this March 12th and will last for four months.
The unusual aspect of the plan is its logistical design: the courts will operate in the mornings, and the construction workers in the afternoons. In an attempt to prevent the noise of the drills from interfering with hearings and testimonies, the building will be transformed into a dual-purpose space. For 120 days, the Maspalomas Courthouse will be in constant use, even after sunset, as part of an emergency plan to improve facilities that suffer from the pressure of being one of the busiest judicial districts in Spain.
