TheReal Audiencia of Guadalajara (orReal Audiencia de Nueva Galicia), was the highest tribunal of theSpanish crown in what is today northernMexico and the southwesternUnited States in theViceroyalty of New Spain.[1] It was created by royal decree on February 13, 1548, and was originally located inCompostela and permanently seated inGuadalajara in 1560. Its president was the chief political and executive officer of the district, subordinated only to the Viceroy.[citation needed]
Law VII (Audiencia y Chancillería Real de Guadalaxara de la Galicia en Nueva España) of Title XV (De las Audiencias y Chancillerias Reales de las Indias) of Book II of theRecopilación deLeyes de las Indias of 1680—which compiles the decrees of February 13, 1548; May 26, 1574; and May 3, 1575—describes the limits and functions of theAudiencia.[2]
In the city of Guadalajara of New Galicia shall reside another Royal Audiencia and Chancellery of ours, with a president, and four judges ofcivil cases [oidores], who will also be judges ofcriminal cases [alcaldes del crimen]; a crown attorney [fiscal]; a bailiff [alguacil mayor]; a lieutenant of the Gran Chancellor; and the other necessary ministers and officials; and which shall have for district theProvince of New Galicia, those ofCuliacán,Copala,Colima,Zacatula, and the towns of Avalos, sharing borders: in the east with theAudiencia of New Spain; in the south with theSouth Sea; and in the west and north with provinces not yet discovered nor pacified; and the president of said Audiencia of Guadalajara, and not theoidores, shall have the government (gobernación) of its district, and in his absence said Audience of Guadalajara, regardless of whatever decrees in which participation in the government along with the presidents had been conceded to theoidores, which we revoke and annul. And we order that this law of ours be kept, as it is in it contained, and in regards to the government of war and the treasury, the orders, which we have given, be kept.
Law XXXXVII, of the same book and title, reproduced the Decree ofPhilip III of January 30, 1600, which mandated that when the office of viceroy was vacant, theAudiencia of Mexico became the acting viceroy, directly governing the provinces under its judicial jurisdiction, and oversaw the district of the Guadalajara Audiencia in administrative matters.