Real Audiencia

The Real Audiencia (also Audiencia Real Audiencia or, dt literally Royal Audience ) was the highest judicial body in the Kingdom of Castile and Appeal Court. Each audience had called oidores (Ger. literally listening ) as a judge.

In Spain

The first Audiencia was - a statement by King Henry II in 1369 according to - in 1371 formally established in Valladolid. It was in 1494 of Queen Isabella the Catholic divided into two areas: the Audiencia of Valladolid of a judicial area north of the River Tagus and the Audiencia of Granada, which was south of that river in charge. After the unification of Castile and Aragon, Charles V taught the audience of Aragon in 1528, based in Zaragoza a. Under his son, Philip II's audience being was significantly expanded in the Spanish and European possessions of the Crown. Among other things, created Audiences in Sardinia in 1564, in Seville in 1566, in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria 1568 in Sicily in 1569 and Mallorca 1571st Later, inter alia, 1717 audience in Asturias and 1790 that established in Extremadura.

In the American colonies, and the Philippines

In America, the first Royal Audience of Santo Domingo was established in 1511 on the island of Hispaniola. Between 1526 and 1598 many new audiences in the emerging colonial empire came under Charles V and Philip II in the Americas and the Philippines, added: New Spain (Mexico, 1527, chaired by the viceroy of New Spain ), Panama (1538 ), Guatemala (1543 ), Lima (1543; viceroy of Peru), Guadalajara (1548, Neugalicien ), Santa Fe de Bogotá ( 1548), Charcas (today Sucre, Bolivia, 1559 ), Quito (1563, see Real Audiencia de Quito ), Santiago de Chile (1563, final 1609), Manila ( 1583 ). In the 17th and 18th centuries Audiences in Buenos Aires, Caracas and Cuzco have been established yet.

In the colonial empire Audiences fulfilled in addition to the case law and administration of justice and the function, the supremacy of the king ( and its laws ) against the viceroys and governors to make it clear. The audiences consisted initially of four judges ( oidores ) and a prosecutor ( fiscal ), which headed the respective viceroy or governor. In some territories, the number of members increased with time. About the audiences was only the Consejo de Indias, which could be called only in individual cases as a parent Court of Appeal and, in turn, the audiences and the Chairman advised them viceroys and governors in legal matters.

Footnotes

Bogota | Buenos Aires | Caracas | Charcas | Chile | Cuzco | Guadalajara | Guatemala | Lima | Manila | Mexico | Panama | Quito | Santo Domingo

• History of Law (Spain )
• American History