Law of Spain

Last updated

The Law of Spain is the legislation in force in the Kingdom of Spain, which is understood to mean Spanish territory, Spanish waters, consulates and embassies, and ships flying the Spanish flag in democratically elected institutions.

Contents

Characteristics

Spanish law follows the continental system, which means it is supported principally by the law in the broad sense (laws and regulations) and to a lesser extent by judicial decisions and customs. Likewise, it is a complex law, in which various autonomous community legislation coexists with the national.

Constitutional supremacy

The supreme Spanish law is the Spanish Constitution of 1978, which regulates the functioning of public bodies and the fundamental rights of the Spanish people, as well as the organization and competencies of the different autonomous communities. The Constitution, as well as being directly applicable by the judiciary, enjoys a material supremacy that determines the rest of the laws in Spain.

Constitutional control

All laws in Spain must be declared compatible with the Constitution (all laws that contravene the Constitution are invalid). However, it is clear that a public body is needed to regulate the fulfilment of this rule. In Spain's case, a Constitutional Court exists, which follows the Kelsenian (or Austrian) model.

Following this doctrine, the constitutional court has two basic functions:

In a case where an ordinary court questions a law, only the right of the declaration is available, and it must go to the Constitutional Court with the question of constitutionality so that it can be declared, thus it is the only body which possesses the power to reject laws.

Separation of functions

The division of powers, a fundamental idea in liberal thinking, is the core of the political system. Although, the Spanish Constitution only establishes the separation of functions. At its heart, national sovereignty permits the election, by universal suffrage (men and woman older than 18), of representatives of the sovereign people in the Cortes Generales. The Cortes Generales exercise legislative power through two chambers, the Congress of Deputies and the Senate, choose the Prime Minister and control the actions of the executive power, which must obey the law.

The judicial powers fall into the hands of the judges and courts, an office which the public has access to, and in a jury, which is formed by nationals chosen by lottery in every case. The Constitutional Court controls the laws and the actions of the public administration must fit into the Magna Carta.

Sources of law

The sources of law in Spain are:

Jurisprudence is a secondary source.

Organization of Spanish public law

  1. Constitutional law. This is the collection of laws and judicial institutions related to the organization of the constitutional bodies and the exercise of the citizen's basic rights and freedoms.
  2. Administrative law. This regulates the organization and functioning of the powers and bodies of the state and its relations with individuals.
  3. Criminal law. This regulates the so-called punitive (disciplinary) actions.
  4. Process law. This is integrated by the collection of laws that regulate judging procedures.
  5. Financial and tax law. This is a collection of laws that organize or study the resources that constitute the finances of the State and the other public bodies. They regulate the procedures to obtain deposits and to regulate expenses and payments.
  6. International public law. This is integrated by the laws that regulate the judicial relations between each state and the other members of the international community.

Organization of Spanish private law

  1. Civil law. This is integrated by the collection of laws that regulate the person, the family, personal assets, contractual relations and the extra contractual civil responsibility . Within this we find the common and local law.
  2. Commercial law. This is the collection of laws that regulate law relating to business, within the world of business.
  3. Labour or social law. This regulates the relationships between employees and employers. Complains about social security fall under public law.
  4. International private law. This regulates the relationships between physical and judicial persons of different nationalities.

Public and private law

In Spain, within public law is included the regulation of the highest state institutions, constitutional law, which regulates the organisation, competencies and functioning of the constitutional bodies (the State Council, the Account Court, the Constitutional Court, the General Council of the Judicial Power of Spain, etc.), constitutionally recognised rights and the constitutional mechanisms to do with the interference by the public bodies with individual freedoms, rights and guarantees.

Also included within the realm of public law are criminal law, process law, financial and tax law and certain parts of labour law (infractions and sanctions of the public order, for example).

Hierarchy of laws

Article 1.2 of the Spanish Civil Code establishes that inferior and superior laws to be distinguished. However, the relationship between laws is not limited to a question of hierarchy, but also relationships of competency exist between some laws and others.

With effect to this, the Spanish Constitution of 1978 is the supreme law, which regulates all the complex relationships between the different laws and their place in the hierarchy.

The hierarchy of Spanish laws is thus:

  1. The Constitution.
  2. International treaties.
  3. The law in its strict sense: Organic Law (which requires an absolute majority from the Cortes Generales), ordinary law and regulatory laws (amongst which are found the Royal Decree-Law and the Royal Legislative Decree).
  4. Laws stemming from the executive, with its own hierarchy based on the function of the body that made them (Royal Decree, Decree, Ministerial Order, etc.).

Besides this, the Spanish Constitution establishes the competency of the Autonomous Communities with regard to the regulation of certain areas, and their ability to create legal laws via their own Parliaments. In a procedure between the autonomous parliament and the national parliament the Statute of Autonomy exists, which is the fundamental law for the Autonomous Communities. After this, the hierarchy of laws will be the law dictated by the autonomous parliament with regard to its regulatory competencies, dictated by the autonomous executive.

Local authorities do not have legislative abilities even if they possess regulatory authority.

The relationship between autonomous and national laws depends the competencies established in the Constitution and in the respective Statute of Autonomy. The Constitutional Court is the body with the power to decide if a law is constitutional or not as well as the power to resolve conflicts regarding competencies between the State, the Autonomous Community and the Local Authorities. Only European Community law in line with precedential Spanish Constitution 1978, provincial, diplomatic and judicial findings can be considered to have standing. Lack of a prior challenge does not negate future negation based on the national law. Spanish culture restrains many challenges that knowledgeable lawyers are prepared to pursue if required by a case.

Relationship between European Community and Spanish law

As well as these three levels, reference must be made to EC law, which is an autonomous legal system applicable in Spain and whose laws are sovereign over national laws with virtue to the hierarchy of sources, which places international treaties at a higher level than the law. Regarding the Constitution there is a great debate between Constitutionalists and Communitarians as to which is supreme. For the former the Constitution is supreme, whereas for the latter the Treaties are supreme. In practice, the only time in which the Constitution and Treaties conflicted, the Constitution was modified to be in line with the Treaties.

On its part, EC law is divided into original and derived law, the original having its origins in the Treaties ratified by Spain, and the derived emanating from the EC institutions.

All laws stemming from EC institutions are directly applicable in Spain in virtue of the Treaty of the European Union, ratified by Spain and thus part of the internal Spanish law. Given that the treaties have a higher hierarchical position compared to laws, in the case of conflict the Treaties will be given primacy.

Within EC law it is necessary to distinguish between directives and regulations. Directives need the Member State to apply them by passing laws whereas regulations are directly applicable.

Interpretation of laws in Spain

The Spanish Civil Code regulates the interpretation of laws in Spain, and establishes the following:

3.1. Laws are to be interpreted according to the proper meaning of their words, in relation to their context, historic and legal records and the social reality of the time in which they have to be applied, paying particular attention to the spirit and finality of the above. 3.2. Equity must be considered in the application of laws, although the Courts' decisions can only exclusively rest on this when the law expressly permits this.

Article 3 Spanish Civil Code

4.1. The analogous enforcement of laws will occur when the laws do not contemplate a specific supposition, but they

Article 4 Spanish Civil Code

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of the Netherlands</span> Basic law of the Netherlands

The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is one of two fundamental documents governing the Kingdom of the Netherlands as well as the fundamental law of the European territory of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is generally seen as directly derived from the one issued in 1815, constituting a constitutional monarchy; it is the third oldest constitution still in use worldwide. A revision in 1848 instituted a system of parliamentary democracy. In 1983, the most recent major revision of the Constitution of the Netherlands was undertaken, almost fully rewriting the text and adding new civil rights.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Spain</span> Principles, institutions and law of political governance in Spain

The Spanish Constitution is the supreme law of the Kingdom of Spain. It was enacted after its approval in a constitutional referendum; it represents the culmination of the Spanish transition to democracy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Decree</span> Edict or proclamation usually issued by a head of state

A decree is a legal proclamation, usually issued by a head of state such as the president of a republic, or a monarch, according to certain procedures. It has the force of law. It is called an executive order when issued by a president of the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Law of Russia</span>

The primary and fundamental statement of laws in the Russian Federation is the Constitution of the Russian Federation. Statutes, like the Russian Civil Code and the Russian Criminal Code, are the predominant legal source of Russian laws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colombian Constitution of 1991</span> Colombias current Constitution

The Political Constitution of Colombia of 1991, is the Constitution of the Republic of Colombia. It was promulgated in Constitutional Gazette number 114 on Thursday, July 4, 1991, and is also known as the Constitution of Human Rights. It replaced the Political Constitution of 1886 and was issued during the presidency of the liberal César Gaviria, with ideas from the also liberal Luis Carlos Galán.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Council of State (Greece)</span> Supreme administrative court in Greece

The Council of State is the Supreme Administrative Court of Greece.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Council of the Judiciary</span>

The General Council of the Judiciary is the national council of the judiciary of Spain. It is the constitutional body that governs all the Judiciary of Spain, such as courts, and judges, as it is established by the Spanish Constitution of 1978, article 122 and developed by the Organic Law 6/1985 of the Judicial Power (LOPJ). The President of the CGJP is also the president of the Supreme Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme court</span> Highest court in a jurisdiction

In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, and highcourt of appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of a supreme court are binding on all other courts in a nation and are not subject to further review by any other court. Supreme courts typically function primarily as appellate courts, hearing appeals from decisions of lower trial courts, or from intermediate-level appellate courts. A Supreme Court can also, in certain circumstances, act as a court of original jurisdiction, however, this is typically limited to constitutional law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitutional Court of Spain</span> Court interpreting the Constitution of Spain

The Constitutional Court is the supreme interpreter of the Spanish Constitution, with the power to determine the constitutionality of acts and statutes made by any public body, central, regional, or local in Spain. It is defined in Part IX of the Constitution of Spain, and further governed by Organic Laws 2/1979, 8/1984, 4/1985, 6/1988, 7/1999 and 1/2000. The court is the "supreme interpreter" of the Constitution, but since the court is not a part of the Spanish Judiciary, the Supreme Court is the highest court for all judicial matters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of Spain</span> Highest court in Spain

The Supreme Court is the highest court in the Kingdom of Spain. Originally established pursuant to Title V of the Constitution of 1812 to replace —in all matters that affected justice— the System of Councils, and currently regulated by Title VI of the Constitution of 1978, it has original jurisdiction over cases against high-ranking officials of the Kingdom and over cases regarding illegalization of political parties. It also has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all cases. The Court has the power of judicial review, except for the judicial revision on constitutional matters, reserved to the Constitutional Court.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judiciary of Colombia</span>

The judiciary of Colombia is a branch of the State of Colombia that interprets and applies the laws of Colombia, to ensure equal justice under law, and to provide a mechanism for dispute resolution. The judiciary comprises a hierarchical system of courts presided over by judges, magistrates and other adjudicators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica</span>

The Supreme Court of Costa Rica is the court of greater hierarchy of Law and Justice in Costa Rica.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Judiciary of Spain</span> System of law courts in Spain

The Judiciary of Spain consists of Courts and Tribunals, composed of judges and magistrates (Justices), who have the power to administer justice in the name of the King of Spain.

An Organic Law in Spanish law are laws related to fundamental rights and freedoms and important institutional areas as defined by the Constitution. Organic Laws must be passed by an absolute majority of the Congress of Deputies. In legal terms, organic laws are conceptually considered part of the constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Politics of France</span> Political system of France

The politics of France take place with the framework of a semi-presidential system determined by the French Constitution of the French Fifth Republic. The nation declares itself to be an "indivisible, secular, democratic, and social Republic". The constitution provides for a separation of powers and proclaims France's "attachment to the Rights of Man and the principles of National Sovereignty as defined by the Declaration of 1789".

The law of Mexico is based upon the Constitution of Mexico and follows the civil law tradition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High courts of justice (Spain)</span>

The superior courts of justice, or high courts of justice, are courts within the judicial system of Spain, whose territorial scope covers an autonomous community, as laid down in the Organic Law of Judicial Power.

The Public Administration of Spain is the governmental apparatus that manages the Spanish public interests.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Prosecution Ministry</span>

The Prosecution Ministry or Public Prosecutor's Office is a constitutional body which has full autonomy within the judiciary of Spain. It is entrusted with defending the rule of law, the rights of the citizens, and public interest, as well as watching over the independence of the courts of justice.

The Judiciary of Mexico officially the Judicial Power of the Federation is one of the three branches of government in Mexico, and the sole federal judiciary power. It is composed of the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation, which serves as its highest court, the Federal Judiciary Council, the Federal Electoral Tribunal, regional courts, circuit and appellate collegiate courts, and district courts.