Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo

The Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo was the first court of the Spanish crown in America. It was created by Ferdinand V of Castile in his decree of 1511, but due to disagreements between the governor of Hispaniola, Diego Colon and the Crown, it was not implemented until it was reestablished by Charles V in his decree of September 14, 1526. This "audiencia" would become part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain upon the creation of the latter two decades later. Nevertheless, the "audiencia" president was at the same time governor and captain general of the Captaincy General of Santo Domingo, which granted him broad administrative powers over the Spanish possessions of the Caribbean and most of its mainland coasts. This combined with the judicial oversight that the "audiencia" judges had over the region, meant that the Santo Domingo "Audiencia" was the principal political entity of this region during the colonial period.

tructure

Law II ("That in the City of Santo Domingo in Hispaniola reside the Royal "Audiencia" and Chancellory, and of its Ministers, District and Jurisdiction") of Title XV ("Of the Royal "Audiencias" and Chancellories of the Indies") of Book II of the "Recopilación de Leyes de las Indias" of 1680—which compiles the decrees of September 14, 1526; June 4, 1527; April 19, 1583; October 30, 1591, and February 17, 1620—describes the limits and functions of the "Audiencia". [Cite book| author = Spain|title = Recopilación de las Leyes de Indias. Titulo Quince. De las Audiencias y Chancillerias Reales de las Indias| year = 1680| publication= Madrid| id = [http://www.congreso.gob.pe/ntley/Imagenes/LeyIndia/0102015.pdf Spanish-language facsimile of the original] ]

The "Audiencia" of Santo Domingo maintained judicial oversight of Caracas Province, except for two short periods from 1717 to 1723 and 1739 to 1742, until the establishment of the "Audiencia" of Caracas in 1786. It also oversaw its former territories, the provinces of Maracaibo, Margarita, Cumaná (New Andalusia), Guayana, Barinas and Trinidad, from 1777 to 1786, while plans for the new "audiencia" in Caracas were finalized. The president of the "Audiencia" retained administrative oversight of Margarita, Cumaná and Caracas throughout the majority of the colonial period.

Because Spain ceded Hispaniola to France in the Peace of Basel of 1795, the "Audiencia" was transferred to Santa María del Puerto Príncipe (today Camagüey, Cuba) by the royal decree of March 17, 1799. The new "Audiencia" was set up the following year and called the "Real Audiencia" of Puerto Príncipe. This "Audiencia" maintained jurisdiction over Cuba, Puerto Rico, Louisiana and Florida. In 1838 the "Real Audiencia" of Havana was created, with the Puerto Príncipe retaining jurisdiction over the Eastern and Central departments of Cuba, since Spain had lost Florida and Louisiana. In 1831 the "Real Audiencia" of Puerto Rico was established, but it was dissolved in 1853.

References

ee also

*Captaincy General of Santo Domingo