Spain : legal resources: Cases

For Constitutional case law see the tab Constitution

Sources of law

The Spanish Civil Code defines the primary sources of law: 

Article 1 of the Civil Code

"(1.) The sources of the Spanish legal system are statutes, customary laws and the general principles of law. 

La jurisprudencia

While written sources of law (including the Constitution and ordinary legislation) are defined as the primary source of law, the Civil Code refers to case law - la jurisprudencia - as a complementary source of law: 

Article 1 of the Civil Code

(6.) Case law shall complement the legal system by means of the doctrine repeatedly upheld by the Supreme Court in its interpretation and application of statutes, customs and general legal principles.

The Supreme Court, the Tribunal supremo, interprets decisions made by lower courts tp 

Lower courts must follow the line set by the Tribunal Supremo in its decisions.

Printed resources

Noticias Juridicas is a legal news website from Wolters Kluwer which aggregates legal news from Spain. It summarises court decisions as well as offering more in-depth articles, and has a search function for jurisprudence and legislation.

Sentencia (judgments/decisions)

If citation includes RJ this is to the law report series called Repertorio [Aranzadi] de Jurisprudencia. This is shelved at Spain 100 A6 from v.1(1930/1) to date. At the same shelf mark we have the Índice progresivo de jurisprudencia.