Supreme Court of Spain

The Supreme Court, known in Spanish as the Tribunal Supremo, is the highest court in the Kingdom of Spain. It holds original jurisdiction over cases against high-ranking officials of the Kingdom and over cases involving the banning of political parties, and it holds ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all other cases along with the power of judicial review, except in constitutional matters, which are reserved to the Constitutional Court. The Court was originally established under Title V of the Constitution of 1812 to replace the earlier System of Councils in matters of justice, and it is now regulated by Title VI of the Constitution of 1978. As set out in the Judiciary Organic Act of 1985, it consists of the President of the Supreme Court, who also chairs the General Council of the Judiciary, a Vice President, the chairpersons of the Court's chambers, and an undetermined number of magistrates, 83 as of 2026, each nominated by the General Council of the Judiciary and appointed by the Monarch for a lifetime tenure until the mandatory retirement age of 70. The Court meets in its Palace in Madrid, built by Antonio Ruiz de Salces on the site of the former Convent of the Salesas Reales.