Ministry of Justice

The Secretary of State for Justice is the highest organ of the department responsible, under the superior authority of the Minister or Minister, for coordination and collaboration with the administration of the autonomous communities in the service of justice; the management, planning, support and cooperation with the Administration of Justice and the Public Prosecutor’s Office; international legal cooperation and relations with international and European Union bodies in the field of the competences of the Ministry of Justice; the promotion of Human Rights in the field of competences of the Ministry, those related to the location, recovery, administration and realization of effects, goods, instruments and profits from criminal activities and the civil and powers of registration.

Without prejudice to the powers of the person in charge of the Ministry, the Secretary of State shall be responsible for participation in the Ministry ' s relations with the governing bodies of the General Council of the Judiciary, the Public Prosecutor ' s Office, the judicial authorities of the Autonomous Communities and the General Councils of the Legal Profession and the Office of the Procurator of the Courts, the Ministry ' s relations with the Ombudsman, as well as relations with the General Council of Notaries and the Association of Property Registrars and Mercantiles of Spain.

Likewise, the State Secretariat of Justice is responsible for the impetus and initiative for the elaboration of the normative projects on the matters within its competence and those other responsible by the head of the department, without prejudice to the corresponding powers of the Under-Secretariat and the Technical General Secretariat.

1. The ordinary representation of the Ministry.
2. The institutional relations of the department, without prejudice to the competences attributed to other superior and executive bodies.
3. Support to the higher bodies in the planning of the Ministry's activity, through the corresponding technical advice.
4. Assistance to the Minister in the control of the effectiveness of the Ministry and its Public Agencies.
5. The establishment of inspection programmes for the services of the Ministry, as well as the determination of the necessary actions for the improvement of planning, management and organization systems and for the rationalization and simplification of procedures and working methods, within the framework defined by the Ministries of Finance and Territorial Policy and Public Service.
6. The development and approval of the Department’s Annual Inspection Plan.
7. The proposal of the organizational measures of the Ministry and the direction of the operation of the common services through the corresponding instructions or service orders.
8. Legal advice to the Minister in the performance of his/her duties and, in particular, in the exercise of his/her normative power and in the production of administrative acts falling within the competence of the Minister, as well as to the other organs of the Ministry, without prejudice to the competences of the State Attorney-General/Directorate of the State Legal Service.

1. Legal advice to the General Administration of the State and its autonomous bodies, as well as, where appropriate normatively or conventionally, that of other entities and public bodies, State commercial companies and foundations with State participation. The representation and defence of the State and its autonomous bodies, the constitutional bodies and the other entities listed in the preceding paragraph, before the Constitutional Court and the courts of all jurisdictional orders, as well as in pre-judicial and extrajudicial proceedings, under the terms of the legislation in force.
2. Legal assistance in the field of European Union law, as well as the representation and defense of the Kingdom of Spain before the jurisdictional bodies of the European Union, before the European Court of Human Rights and before any international bodies competent in the field of safeguarding human rights. Likewise, the legal assistance of the Kingdom of Spain in other international bodies, as well as everything related to the representation and defense of the State, autonomous bodies, other public bodies and entities, state mercantile companies or foundations with State participation, when legally or conventionally so applicable, and constitutional bodies before any jurisdictions or prejudicial or extrajudicial proceedings abroad.
3. The promotion of research and the organization of activities aimed at the knowledge and dissemination of legal matters and issues at the national or international level, as well as the organization of training and improvement activities for the personnel of the State Legal Service, in coordination with the Center for Legal Studies, the National Institute of Public Administration and other centers for the training of civil servants.
4. The economic, financial and budgetary management of the State Legal Service, as well as the administrative and managerial functions of the State Lawyers ' Corps and the other personnel integrated in its list of jobs that are not attributed to other higher bodies.