The Notarial College of Catalonia has posthumously awarded the XIV Puig Salellas Prize to Elías Campo Villegas, one of the most prominent figures in the legal and notarial field in Catalonia. This is the highest recognition granted each year by the institution to people or entities with a particularly relevant career in the study, teaching, research, or application of Law.
The award ceremony took place at the headquarters of the Notarial College of Catalonia, in an act presided over by the Minister of Justice of the Generalitat, Gemma Ubasart, together with José Alberto Marín, dean of the Notarial College of Catalonia, and Francesc Tusquets, president of the Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation of Catalonia.
A life dedicated to Law
Elías Campo Villegas developed an exceptional professional career, marked by a deep and transversal vision of the legal world. Throughout his career, he served as a judicial secretary, judge, notary, and lawyer, an unusual combination that allowed him to know Law from very different and complementary perspectives.
With a Law degree from the University of Zaragoza, he began his career as a judicial secretary in Tafalla. Later he was a judge of first instance and instruction in Albocàsser, Lucena del Cid, and Tortosa. From 1960 he continued his career as a notary in Tortosa, Terrassa, and Barcelona.
His professional journey was always linked to the rigorous study of Catalan civil law, civil law in general, notarial law, and commercial companies. He also stood out especially in the field of arbitration and alternative dispute resolution systems, a subject in which he was a reference author and a driving figure.
Pioneer in mediation and conflict resolution
One of the most relevant aspects of his career was his firm commitment to alternative ways to resolve controversies. In 1989 he promoted and founded the Barcelona Arbitration Court, of which he was vice president for more than twenty years.
This work was especially highlighted during the award ceremony. The institutions emphasized his vision ahead of his time and his ability to understand that conflict resolution can be approached with tools other than the judicial process, with a more dialogic, practical, and useful approach for the parties.
That conciliatory spirit also left its mark on the notarial field. After his retirement, he directed the implementation of the User Service of the notarial service at the Notarial College of Catalonia, reinforcing an idea of the notarial function based on closeness, guidance, and attention to the citizen.
His contribution to Catalan civil law
The figure of Elías Campo Villegas is also closely linked to the development and consolidation of Catalan civil law. His interest in this subject was early and constant, and he participated already in 1971 in the II Catalan Law Congress.
His work is part of an especially important stage for the evolution of the Catalan civil legal system, today considered one of the most modern and practical in Europe. His intellectual and legal contribution helped to strengthen a model based on codification, consensus, and normative stability.
A recognition with personal and professional dimension
The ceremony also had an especially emotional component. During the event, the Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation of Catalonia paid tribute to the awardee, an academic since 2004. The laudatio was pronounced by Josep D. Guardia Canela, academic, former president of the Constitutional Court of Andorra, and former Minister of Justice of the Generalitat of Catalonia.
The prize was collected by Miguel Ángel Campo, notary and son of the awardee, on behalf of his father. A moment charged with meaning that united institutional recognition for an exemplary career with the continuity of a deeply rooted legal and notarial vocation.
A reference of legal thought
In addition to his professional work, Elías Campo Villegas was the author of numerous articles in legal journals and a collaborator in various collective works. He was a member of the Barcelona Bar Association since 1989, a member of the Academy of Jurisprudence and Legislation of Catalonia, vice president of the Barcelona Arbitration Court, and director of the Legal Service of the Notarial College of Catalonia since 1999.
His death, on July 30, 2022, left an important mark on the Catalan legal field. This posthumous recognition highlights a brilliant career, built on rigor, commitment to Law, and a clear vocation for service.
A trajectory that leaves a mark
The Puig Salellas Award recognizes a top-level legal career, but also something more: a way of understanding the profession from study, responsibility, and the will to contribute to the common good.
The figure of Elías Campo Villegas continues to be a reference for his contribution to Catalan civil law, for his promotion of mediation and arbitration, and for his dedication to notarial service. His legacy continues to be present in the legal profession and in those who understand Law as a tool at the service of people.