Royal Audiencia of Buenos Aires

The Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires (in Spanish complete: Audiencia y Cancillería Real de Buenos Aires ) was a Court of Justice in Buenos Aires, an institution of the colonial administration and also a Judicial District (Real Audiencia ) of the Spanish crown. It consisted 1661-1671 in the province of Río de la Plata, and by 1783 as part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. In 1812 it was dissolved in the wake of Argentina's independence.

The role of the Real Audiencias in the colonies

After the conquest of Central and South America ( Conquista ) by the Spanish King Charles V issued the " laws on India " (Spanish: Leyes de Indias ), and the " New Laws " (Spanish: Leyes Nuevas ), in which he manage the the overseas colonies in the " Viceroyalty of New Castile " organized and regulated.

For the implementation of the laws and the support of the military governors of the real Audiencias were responsible. Means that they fulfilled tasks in administration and finance, which went far beyond that of a Court of Justice according to current understanding, especially since a separation of powers was unknown. In addition to a chairman and four judges (Spanish: Oidores ) there was a prosecutor (Spanish: fiscal ), but also subordinate executive powers as a constable (Spanish: alguacil mayor ), police forces, translators, etc.

The first Audiencia 1661-1671

As such an appeal court and the administrative center, the Real Audiencia of Lima was founded at the same time with the Viceroyalty of Peru in November 1542. From 1559 administered the neugegründetre Real Audiencia of Charcas also the area on the Río de la Plata, which was from 1580 permanently inhabited and ruled by the re- founding of Buenos Aires by the Spaniards.

On April 6, 1661 King Philip IV decreed the establishment of an Audiencia in Buenos Aires. By deed dated June 20, 1661 task and functionality of the Audiencia was concretized, which itself responsible, Paraguay and Tucuman region extended to the territory of the Río de la Plata. Governor Alonso Mercado y Villacorta should be used as chairman, was with the double burden but apparently overwhelmed. It was not until his successor Juan Martínez de Salazar as the first chairman took the Audiencia on their work. The judges (Spanish: Oidores ) were named Pedro de Ovalle, Manuel Muñoz de Cuellar, Juan Ximénez Lobatón and Pedro de Roxas y Luna. As the first prosecutor (Spanish: fiscal ) held the Diego Portales.

With royal available from December 31, 1671, King Charles II abolished the Audiencia again; the reaction took place 26 October 1672. Probably had the news that the Audiencia ( under Governor Mercado ) do not work as desired, the charge at court in Spain until the time the usual delay of many months ( due to the long travel times by ship between South America and Europe) reached and so the abolition was decreed and proclaimed as the long operating under royal ran available. From 1672 certainly was again responsible for more than a hundred years for the supreme judicial authorities on the Rio de la Plata in the Audiencia of Charcas.

The second Audiencia in the Viceroyalty

On August 1, 1776 own Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was founded. King Charles III. decreed in connection with the reorganization of the colonial administration should beside the establishment of the Audiencia, by decree of 25 July, 1782. Viceroy Juan José de Vértiz y Salcedo was at its founding on April 14, 1783, the first President, a Regent, four Oidores and a Fiscal give.

The official inauguration took place on August 8, 1785. The first judges were Manuel de Arredondo, Alonso González Pérez, Sebastián de Velazco, Ignacio Tomás Palomeque and as a prosecutor José Márquez de la Plata.

The area of responsibility covered the northern part of present-day Argentina; with the corrigimiento de Cuyo Cuyo Andes of the main ridge of the responsibility of the Real Audiencia of Chile was east passed into the jurisdiction of the administration of Buenos Aires. In addition, it included the present-day Uruguay and Paraguay.

In Buenos Aires the modern centralist policy of the Bourbons was faster and more intense prevailed as to the long-established Audiencias. The contact to the Indies (Spanish: Consejo de Indias ) was further intensified, as in the growing and economically flourishing colony of many decisions by the highest authorities were to ratify.

Resolution for independence

With the May Revolution in 1810 the independence movement took possession of Buenos Aires. The judges of the Audiencia were sold on 22 June 1810 and placed in the Canary Islands. Until January 23, 1812 were used by the revolutionary government in its place native Creoles. Then the Court of Appeal replaced (Spanish: Cámara de Apelaciones ) of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, the function of the Audiencia.

Sources and links

Background articles on the real Audiencias ( Spanish)
Information about the first Audiencia ( Spanish)
Osvaldo Barrenche: Crime and the administration of justice in Buenos Aires, 1785-1853 ( English ). University of Nebraska Press, 2006, ISBN 0-8032-1357-3 (accessed 24 June 2010 ).

History of Law (Spain )
History ( Argentina)
Spanish colonial history
Buenos Aires
Viceroyalty of Peru
Established in 1661

Court usher Royal Audiencia of Lima Royal Audiencia of Santiago

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