The Spanish roots of Philippine Law

  • Rubén F. Balane University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and University of Santo Tomás
Keywords: The Philippines, influence, Spanish normative, Philippines law

Abstract

At the beginning of the 16th century, a Spanish shift captained by Magallanes disembarked in what is today referred to as the Philippines Islands. From 1565 to 1898 Spain maintained her sovereignty over the territory. Until then, the islands were administered from Mexico City and controlled through the port of Acapulco. During this time, the Philippines Islands were governed by the Spanish normative: the Partidas, the Novísima Recopilación and the racopilación de las Leyes de Indias. The supreme judicial body was the Royal Audiencia, which was later divided into two divisions: Sala de lo Civil and Sala de lo Penal. Before gaining independence, the Código Penal (1887), the Código de Comercio (1889) and the Código Civil (1889) were introduced in the islands. These three codes have greatly influenced the applicable law nowadays in Philippines.

Received: 12 April 2018
Accepted: 25 June 2018
Published online: 03 August 2018

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Author Biography

Rubén F. Balane, University of the Philippines, Ateneo de Manila University and University of Santo Tomás

Professor of Civil Law

Published
2018-08-03
How to Cite
Balane, Rubén F. 2018. “The Spanish Roots of Philippine Law”. Estudios De Deusto 66 (1), 23-31. https://doi.org/10.18543/ed-66(1)-2018pp23-31.
Section
Studies