Real Audiencia of Lima

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Real Audiencia of Lima

The Real Audiencia of Lima (in Spanish completely: Audiencia y Cancillería Real de Lima , also: Ciudad de los Reyes ) was a court in Lima , an institution of colonial administration and at the same time a judicial district ( Real Audiencia ) of the Spanish crown. It existed from 1543 to 1821 as part of the Viceroyalty of Peru .

The role of the Real Audiencias in the colonies

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

The Real Audiencias were responsible for the implementation of the laws and the support of the military governors . They fulfilled tasks in administration and finance that went far beyond that of a court according to today's understanding, especially as a separation of powers was unknown. In addition to a chairman and usually four judges (Spanish: Oidores ), there was a public prosecutor (Spanish: fiscal ), but also subordinate executive forces such as a bailiff (Spanish: alguacil mayor ), police officers, translators, etc.

The foundation in 1542

As such a court of appeal and administrative center, the Real Audiencia of Lima was founded at the same time as the Viceroyalty of Peru in November 1542. It was the first audiencia on the South American mainland, previously audiencias in Santo Domingo (1511), Mexico (1527) and Panamá (1538) had already been established .

Around the same time as the Audiencia of Lima, an Audiencia was founded in Guatemala in 1543 .

Jurisdiction

The Audiencia of Lima was initially responsible for the entire South American continent. With the establishment of further audiences, the responsibility was increasingly shared.

From 1548 the Real Audiencia of Santa Fé de Bogotá took over what is now Colombia . In 1559 the Real Audiencia of Charcas was set up in today's Sucre , which was responsible for the highlands in today's Bolivia and initially also the area on the Río de la Plata . The Real Audiencia of Quito followed in 1563, as well as a Real Audiencia of Chile , which first had its seat in Concepción and later in Santiago de Chile .

In 1568 King Philip II decreed that the area around Cuzco should fall under the jurisdiction of the Audiencia of Lima and not the Audiencia of Charcas.

Concretization of the tasks 1680

With the Recopilación de Leyes de Indias in 1680, the Spanish Crown summarized the individual provisions in the New World that had been enacted over the years into one legal text. For the Audiencia of Lima it was determined that the Viceroy of Peru should also be chairman (Spanish: Presidente ). Due to its importance and its area of ​​responsibility, the Audiencia of Lima was more staffed than the other Audiencias in South America: the chairman was assisted by eight judges (Spanish: Oidores ), a public prosecutor (Spanish: fiscal ) for civil cases, and one for criminal law. There were also other supporting forces.

The Audiencia also had to represent the Viceroy in absence.

Reforms of 1776

On March 28, 1768, the area of ​​the island of Chiloé was first separated from the jurisdiction of the Audiencia from Chile and directly subordinated to the Viceroy and the Audiencia in Lima.

With the establishment of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , the areas in what is now Argentina , Uruguay and Paraguay were passed on to administration and jurisdiction in Buenos Aires from 1783 .

resolution

In 1821 the independence movement under José de San Martín captured Lima. Since that time, the area of ​​the Intendencia of Arequipa passed to the jurisdiction of the Real Audiencia of Cuzco, founded in 1787 . The Audiencia of Lima passed over to the Peruvian administration and jurisdiction in the course of Peruvian independence .

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