Spain Court Records

Online Resources

 * The World Law Guide: Courts and Cases, Spain
 * Tribunal Constitucional de España
 * Ministra de Justicia
 * Audiencias Provinciales de España
 * Audiencias Provinciales y Tribunal del Jurado
 * Historia del Tribunal Supremo

Introduction

 * Juzgados y Tribunales

The Court system includes the following branches:
 * Organización jerárquica de los Juzgados y Tribunales
 * El Tribunal Supremo
 * La Audiencia Nacional
 * Los Tribunales Superiores de Justicia
 * Las Audiencias Provinciales
 * Los Juzgados de lo Penal, de lo Contencioso Administrativo, de lo *Social, de Menores y de Vigilancia Penitenciaria
 * Los Juzgados de Primera Instancia e Instrucción
 * Los Juzgados de Paz
 * El Tribunal Constitucional

Inquisition Petitions (Expedientes familiares)
This record set contains petitions of those who wanted to serve in the Inquisition. They can be used to establish lineages in a period for which other sources are scarce. These documents generally contain a statement requesting nomination, a statement concerning genealogical purity, copies of baptismal and marriage certificates for the requestor, the parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents, and other documents such as wills and memberships in military orders. Records exist from approximately 1550 to 1819 and can be found at the National Historical Archive and possibly some provincial archives.

The Inquisition was established to control heretics and prevent religious crimes. In Spain it had an additional political purpose as an attempt to achieve unity and royal control of the country. The Inquisition became an arm of the Spanish state to guarantee that reconquered Spain would remain free and strong from non-Christian countries of the Mediterranean.