Audiencia Nacional

Audiencia Nacional

The Audiencia Nacional (Spanish pronunciation: [awˈðjen.θja naθjoˈnal]; English: National Court) is a centralised court in Spain with jurisdiction over all of the Spanish territory. It is specialised in a certain scope of delinquency, having original jurisdiction over major crimes such as those committed against the Crown and its members, terrorism, forgery of currency, credit and debit cards and checks, some trade crimes committed in more than one region and over drug trafficking, food frauds and medical frauds committed in a nationwide level as well as over international crimes which come under the competence of Spanish courts. (LOPJ § 65). It has also appellate jurisdiction over the cases of the Criminal Chamber of the National Court (LOPJ § 64).The Audiencia Nacional was created in 1977 at the same time as the Public Order Court (Tribunal de Orden Público), an exceptional court created in Francoist Spain, ceased to exist. Most of the rulings of the National Court can ultimately be appealed before the Supreme Court (Tribunal Supremo). Its seat lies on Madrid, at Calle García Gutiérrez, 1, close to the headquarters of the Supreme Court, located across the Square of the Ville of Paris.

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