Nieves Lady Barreto unveils model of Fuerteventura's new Justice Palace
The building has a tender price of €55 million and will provide 21,000 m² of usable space across six floors.
The Councilor for Presidency, Public Administration, Justice and Security of the Government of the Canary Islands, Nieves Lady Barreto, unveiled today the scale model of the future Palace of Justice in Fuerteventura inside the main hall of the Cabildo, alongside island president Lola García. She explained that the €55 million project will improve working conditions for legal professionals and enhance public service, offering a modern, accessible, and appropriately sized judicial infrastructure.
“For the Government this is a priority infrastructure, and we have worked together to finally secure a site and adapt the project to the new plot,” Barreto said. “We are now at the start of the tendering process for the building that will house all existing judicial units. We expect the contract to be awarded by the end of the first quarter of next year, allowing construction to begin, with an execution period of four years.”
Barreto also thanked the Cabildo and the Puerto del Rosario City Council for unlocking a project that had been stalled for years.
Island president Lola García highlighted the public demand behind the initiative:
“The future Palace of Justice will end the current dispersion of court locations across the island’s capital, facilitating the work of staff and improving access to services for users.”
She added:
“From day one, the island corporation worked to free up the land, which has now been transferred to the Autonomous Community in coordination with the Puerto del Rosario City Council. It is the inter‑administrative coordination that has allowed this project to materialise and move ever closer to reality.”
Juan Luis Lorenzo Bragado, president of the Superior Court of Justice of the Canary Islands (TSJC), expressed satisfaction at bringing this “much‑needed” infrastructure nearer to the judicial district of Puerto del Rosario and the island of Fuerteventura, praising the inter‑administrative collaboration as a model to follow.
Puerto del Rosario mayor David de Vera also voiced his approval, commending the “efficiency” of the procedures that have paved the way for the Palace of Justice to become a reality.
The presentation ceremony was also attended by Cesáreo Rodríguez, Vice‑Councilor for Justice and Security of the Government of the Canary Islands.
The original project originated from a 2018 ideas competition, overseen at the time by Justice Councilor José Miguel Barragán. Initially, the Palace was planned on a parcel on Manuel Velázquez Cabrera Street, donated by the Puerto del Rosario City Council. However, complications with the compensation project reduced the available area and altered adjacent land uses, prompting the Justice Department to negotiate with both the city council and the Cabildo of Fuerteventura for a more suitable site.
Through these negotiations, the Cabildo transferred to the Autonomous Community a parcel of approximately 4,800 m²—bounded by Juan de Bethencourt Avenue, Antonio Espinosa Street, and Lucha Canaria Street—designated for administrative use. The Directorate General of Heritage and Procurement is now finalising the acceptance file for this transfer.
Distribution of the Building
The new Palace of Justice will comprise two underground levels and four above‑ground floors, totaling roughly 21,000 m² of usable space.
Basement – 2: utilities and services, parking, archives, and the forensic section of the Institute of Legal Medicine (IML).
Basement – 1: additional parking, security zone with holding cells, police facilities, and the on‑call courtroom.
Ground floor: main entrance and general services.
First floor: Civil Registry, Victim Assistance Office, Forensic Clinical Section of the IML, offices, hearing rooms (including wedding ceremonies), professional and academic offices, judicial office, and other services.
Second floor: judicial offices and services.
Third floor: judicial offices, prosecutor’s office, services, and a reserved area for future expansions.
The model is built to a 1:100 scale and will remain on display in the Cabildo’s main hall.