The Basque Country government presented its draft budget for 2027 on 4 November 2026. The Departamento de Justicia y Derechos Humanos is therefore set to receive €397.7 million, an increase of 7.7 per cent on the previous year. The draft was presented by the minister responsible, María Jesús San José together with the department’s senior team, and has now been submitted to Parliament for consideration.
The focus is on strengthening public services and access to justice. Around €222 million is earmarked for staffing. A total of €18 million is allocated to the legal profession’s duty and on-call services, and €1.13 million to the work of the procuradores. Support for victims remains a priority: the Servicio de Asistencia a la Víctima will continue to receive €1.2 million; funding for legal assistance for victims of gender-based violence through the bar associations of the three territories will increase. Allocations for juvenile justice and family contact centres will rise to just under €21 million, while the Servicio de Gestión Penitenciaria will receive €9.1 million.
In the prison system, €3.66 million is earmarked to pay more than 630 prisoners working in workshops and services run by the Basque reintegration agency Aukerak This represents around 60 per cent of prisoners fit to work. The aim remains a prison model that combines security, dignity and reintegration, and makes the transition to work and society after release easier.
Another priority is the modernisation of the justice system. The Dirección de Justicia Digital e Infraestructuras will increase from €46.7 million to €60.8 million in 2027. Plans include continuing work on the Telefónica building in Bilbao, renovating the top floor of the Palacio de Justicia de San Martín in Donostia as well as acquiring premises in Vitoria-Gasteiz. In addition, €575,000 will go towards adapting court buildings to the new model of justice administration, including separate, secure routes for victims and for accused or investigated persons. A total of €950,000 is earmarked for maintaining court buildings.
A total of €12.4 million is planned for human rights, remembrance and coexistence, including €5.25 million for the institute Gogora. Priority will be given to recognition, support and reparation for those affected. San José stressed that justice and human rights are inseparable public responsibilities, essential to safeguarding rights and strengthening democracy.
The figures are based on official announcements by the regional government. The draft sets out political priorities; the final figures may still change during the parliamentary process.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).