Does the decree apply today?

Not yet. It appeared on 22 September 2026 in BOC no. 190 as Decreto 145/2026 and comes into force twenty days later, on 12 October 2026. From that day it applies to criminal matters first.

At 68, do I get a facilitator automatically?

No. Under the release of 15 September 2026 it is available from 65 on request. Without a prior request it can only be arranged from 80, and even then only where the need is apparent.

When does it apply to which courts?

Criminal matters from 2026, civil courts from 2027, the rest from 2028 (disposición final primera). Since the decree only enters into force on 12 October 2026, in practice that leaves criminal proceedings for this year.

Will a facilitator help if I do not speak Spanish?

That is not what the role is for; no source checked mentions language support. Interpretation is governed by Article 123 of the Criminal Procedure Act, at the Administration's expense, and by the weaker Article 143 of the Civil Procedure Act.

CANARY ISLANDS · LAW

A court companion in the Canaries: from 65 on request, from 80 without asking

On 15 September 2026 the Canary government approved a decree creating the persona facilitadora — a trained person whose entire job is to make a court case comprehensible to the person caught up in it. From 65 on your own request; from 80, the court may arrange one even if nobody asks. It has since been published: Decreto 145/2026 of 15 September, in BOC no. 190 of 22 September 2026. It comes into force on 12 October 2026 — but at first only in criminal cases.

16 September 2026 · By Julia Roca Bethencourt · 5 min.

The Palacio de Justicia in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Photo: Koppchen, CC BY 3.0 (illustrative image).

What was approved — and what is missing

Gobierno de Canarias, 15 September 2026: the Consejo de Gobierno approves the decree, proposed by the Consejería de Presidencia, Administraciones Públicas, Justicia y Seguridad.
Who is entitled: people with disabilities; people from 65 if they ask; from 80 also "aunque no exista una solicitud previa", where the court sees the need.
Phased (disposición final primera): criminal matters from 2026, civil courts from 2027, the remaining judicial bodies from 2028. From 12 October, then, the right is real only in criminal proceedings.
Minors with disabilities: the facilitator needs a further 60 hours minimum of specific training in children and adolescents (Gobierno de Canarias, 15.9.2026).
Published: Decreto 145/2026 of 15 September, BOC no. 190 of 22 September 2026, item 3297. It enters into force twenty days after publication, that is on 12 October 2026 (disposición final segunda).
Fees (article 10): 90 euros for the report on adaptations and support needs, exceptionally 120 euros where the assessment or method is especially complex, and 50 euros for each accompaniment to court — IGIC included in each case.
Qualification (article 4): a relevant degree plus either at least 200 hours of specific training in supporting people with disabilities, a facilitator certificate, or one year of relevant work experience.
Legal basis: Article 7 bis of the Civil Procedure Act (LEC) as worded by Real Decreto-ley 6/2023, in force since 20 March 2024.

Published — and in force from 12 October, at first only in criminal cases

The last step has been taken. The decree appears as Decreto 145/2026, de 15 de septiembre in the Boletín Oficial de Canarias no. 190 of 22 September 2026, as item 3297. Under its disposición final segunda it enters into force twenty days after publication, which means 12 October 2026.

That does not mean every court is covered from that day. The disposición final primera staggers it: from 2026 in criminal matters, from 2027 in the civil courts, from 2028 in the remaining judicial bodies. So from 12 October the right is real only in criminal proceedings; anyone facing a civil court has to wait for 2027.

The promised Registro Administrativo Canario de Personal Facilitador does not exist yet either. Until it is running, the transitional provision applies: the justice department asks the professional bodies and the organisations representing people with disabilities and older people to send in lists of suitable professionals. Those lists may be kept island by island, with preference for whoever is on the list for that island, so that support comes from nearby. Anyone on such a list is later entered in the register automatically. The administration has given itself a year to build the register's software (disposición adicional segunda).

From 65 on request, from 80 on the court's own motion

The practical heart of it lies in a single difference. Between 65 and 79 nothing happens if nobody speaks up: the support exists, but you have to ask for it. From 80 the court may order it without any request, provided the need is apparent. The request is normally made by the person concerned or, the release says, by "una persona de confianza debidamente autorizada" — in practice often a daughter or a son. Beyond that, the court, the prosecution service or any party to the case can set it in motion.

The right is older — and the Canaries are not first

The decree does not invent the entitlement; it organises it. Article 7 bis LEC has required adaptations for older people since 20 March 2024, and expressly defines them as people "con una edad de sesenta y cinco años o más": on request below 80, and from 80 also on the court's own motion. The article was introduced by Ley 8/2021 of 2 June, by which Spain aligned its law with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities — binding on Spain since 3 May 2008, according to the report of the Consejo General del Poder Judicial of 17 December 2025. The same report records that Decreto 52/2024 of the Comunidad de Madrid regulated the figure "por primera vez, en el ámbito autonómico" — but only for people with disabilities, with no age threshold. Nationally, Real Decreto 707/2026 of 2 September (BOE 218) now names the facilitador procesal as well, from 2 January 2027.

What the facilitator does — and does not do

She draws up an individual profile of the adjustments needed and a report for the court or the prosecutor. She then accompanies the person through the procedural steps, assists when their evidence is taken, prepares them for hearings and makes the essential documents understandable — ideally the same person at every stage. The text draws the limit unusually plainly: she "no hablará en nombre de la persona destinataria ni del sistema de Justicia, ni dirigirá o influirá en sus decisiones". She does not speak for you, and she is not a substitute for a lawyer.

If you do not speak Spanish, this decree is not the answer

This is the commonest misunderstanding. Not one of the sources checked mentions language support for people who do not speak Spanish. The persona facilitadora works in "lenguaje comprensible y fácil" — plain Spanish. She is not an interpreter. Interpretation is a separate matter. In criminal proceedings, Article 123 of the Criminal Procedure Act gives a suspect or defendant who does not speak Spanish the right to an interpreter at every stage where their presence is required, and to written translation of the essential documents — in every case the remand order, the indictment and the judgment. The cost falls on "la Administración, con independencia del resultado del proceso", and under Article 126 that right cannot be waived. In civil proceedings the position is weaker: Article 143 of the Civil Procedure Act merely allows the court to "habilitar como intérprete a cualquier persona conocedora de la lengua", sworn to translate faithfully. The provision requires no professional qualification.

In practice: ask early and in writing, not on the morning of the hearing, and say why — hearing loss, memory, exhaustion. A duly authorised person you trust can ask on your behalf. And quite apart from this decree, one thing already applies today: where a party is 80 or older, civil proceedings must be given priority under Article 7 bis(3) LEC.

Careful: the decree is now published (BOC no. 190 of 22 September 2026) and comes into force on 12 October 2026 — for criminal matters. The civil courts are covered only from 2027, all other courts from 2028. The register of facilitators has not been set up yet; until it is, names are drawn from lists supplied by the professional bodies and by disability and older-people's organisations, so supply may be thin on some islands. Do not confuse the role with an interpreter or a lawyer. This article is information, not legal advice.

FAQ

Does the decree apply today?: Not yet. It appeared on 22 September 2026 in BOC no. 190 as Decreto 145/2026 and comes into force twenty days later, on 12 October 2026. From that day it applies to criminal matters first.
At 68, do I get a facilitator automatically?: No. Under the release of 15 September 2026 it is available from 65 on request. Without a prior request it can only be arranged from 80, and even then only where the need is apparent.
When does it apply to which courts?: Criminal matters from 2026, civil courts from 2027, the rest from 2028 (disposición final primera). Since the decree only enters into force on 12 October 2026, in practice that leaves criminal proceedings for this year.
Will a facilitator help if I do not speak Spanish?: That is not what the role is for; no source checked mentions language support. Interpretation is governed by Article 123 of the Criminal Procedure Act, at the Administration's expense, and by the weaker Article 143 of the Civil Procedure Act.
Are the Canaries the first in Spain?: No. According to the CGPJ report of 17 December 2025, Decreto 52/2024 of the Comunidad de Madrid regulated the figure first — but only for people with disabilities.

Read on

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Correction, 23 September 2026: on 16 September this article reported that the decree had been approved but not published in the Boletín Oficial de Canarias, and was therefore not in force. That is out of date. It appeared on 22 September 2026 as Decreto 145/2026, de 15 de septiembre, in BOC no. 190 under item 3297, and enters into force twenty days later, on 12 October 2026 (disposición final segunda). Under the disposición final primera it applies from 2026 in criminal matters, from 2027 in the civil courts and from 2028 in the remaining courts; so from 12 October the right is real only in criminal proceedings. Added: the register of facilitators does not exist yet, and until it does the transitional provision has names drawn from lists supplied by professional bodies and by disability and older-people's organisations, island by island and with preference for the relevant island's list. We have also added the fees set by article 10 (90 euros, exceptionally 120, and 50 per accompaniment, IGIC included) and the qualification routes in article 4, among them at least 200 hours of training.