The president of the Supreme Court is the head of the Supreme Court of Spain, an office created in 1812. Since 1980, the president of the Supreme Court is also the president of the General Council of the Judiciary, the governing body of the Judiciary of Spain. As such, the president is the defined in Section 105 of the Judiciary Organic Act as the "first judicial authority of the Nation" and "represents the Judicial Power and its governing body".[1] That precept also establishes that, the president will hold those "category and honors" corresponding to the holder of one of the three powers of the State.
Since its creation in 1812, 47 people have served as president in 48 presidencies, and one as acting president, Francisco Marín Castán since 2022. The first president was Ramón Posada y Soto who served during the first period of live of the institution from 1812 to 1814. The shortest presidency was that of José Hevia y Noriega who served 113 days and the longest was that of José Castán Tobeñas who served 22 years and 81 days. Lorenzo Arrazola y García has been the only person to serve in two different terms, the first between 1851 and 1853 and the second time from 1856 to 1864.
Eight of them have also held the position of president of the General Council of the Judiciary (CGPJ). The first holder was Federico Carlos Sainz de Robles y Rodríguez from 1980 to 1986. Carlos Lesmes was the longest-serving president of the CGPJ, serving for .
The current and 48th president of the Supreme Court, as well as 8th president of the General Council of the Judiciary is Carlos Lesmes since December 2018.[2] His tenure ended in December 2018, however, because of the political deadlock, he is serving as acting president since then.
| President[3] | Tenure | Tenure length | Prior/other position | Head of State | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ramón Posada y Soto (1746–1815) | – May 4, 1814 | Indies Councilor (1810–1812) | Ferdinand VII | ||
| Office abolished between 1814 and 1820 | ||||||
| 2 | Antonio Cano Manuel y Ramírez de Arellano (1774–1838) | – May 27, 1823 | State Councilor (1820) | |||
| Office abolished between 1823 and 1834 | ||||||
| 3 | José Hevia y Noriega (1776–1834) | – July 23, 1834 | State Councilor (1833–1834) | Isabella II | ||
| 4 | Vicente Cano Manuel y Ramírez de Arellano (1774–1838) | – January 9, 1838 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1821–1822) | |||
| 5 | Francisco Fernández del Pino Burgos-León (1768–1843) | – September 2, 1840 | President of the Finance Supreme Court (1834–1835) | |||
| 6 | José María Calatrava y Peinado (1781–1846) | – July 29, 1843 | 92nd President of the Congress of Deputies (1839) | |||
| 7 | Nicolás María Garelli (1777–1850) | – February 12, 1850 | Senator for Valencia (1843) | |||
| 8 | José María Manescau (1772–1850) | – December 22, 1850 | Senator for life (1849–1850) | |||
| 9 | Lorenzo Arrazola y García (1795–1873) | – April 9, 1853 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1849–1851) | |||
| 10 | Francisco Olabarrieta y Urquijo (1784–1858) | – December 8, 1854 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1843–1853) | |||
| 11 | José Alonso Ruiz de Conejares (1781–1855) | – April 13, 1855 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1854) | |||
| 12 | Claudio Antón de Luzuriaga (1792–1874) | – October 17, 1856 | Minister of State (1854–1855) | |||
| 13 | Lorenzo Arrazola y García (1795–1873) | – September 16, 1864 | 8thPresident of the Supreme Court (1851–1853) | |||
| 14 | Ramón López Vázquez (1807–1868) | – October 13, 1868 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1856–1864) | |||
| 15 | Joaquín Aguirre de la Peña (1807–1869) | – July 19, 1869 | Chairman of the Revolutionary Superior Junta (1868) | Francisco Serrano (regent) | ||
| 16 | Pedro Gómez de la Serna (1806–1871) | – December 12, 1871 | 7th Attorney General (1854–1856) | |||
| Amadeo I | ||||||
| 17 | Cirilo Álvarez Martínez de Velasco (1807–1878) | – November 6, 1878 | Senator for Madrid (1872) | |||
| See presidents of the First Republic | ||||||
| 18 | Fernando Calderón Collantes (1811–1890) | – July 23, 1882 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1877–1879) | |||
| Alfonso XII | ||||||
| 19 | Eduardo Alonso Colmenares (1820–1888) | – March 31, 1888 | Senator for life (1877–1882) | |||
| Alfonso XIII | ||||||
| 20 | Eugenio Montero Ríos (1832–1914) | – September 10, 1888 | Minister of Development (1885–1886) | |||
| 21 | Hilario Igón y del Royst (?–1895) | – July 16, 1892 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1875–1889) | |||
| 22 | Emilio Bravo y Romero (1827–1893) | – January 24, 1893 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1874–1892) | |||
| 23 | Juan Francisco Bustamante (1824–1898) | – September 10, 1895 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1875–1889) | |||
| 24 | Santos Isasa y Valseca (1822–1907) | – June 5, 1901 | 17th | |||
| 25 | Eduardo Martínez del Campo y Acosta (1840–1911) | – October 21, 1909 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1891–1901) | |||
| 26 | José Aldecoa y Villasante (1838–1917) | – June 19, 1917 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1883–1910) | |||
| 27 | José Ciudad Aurioles (1849–1924) | – March 5, 1923 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1903–1917) | |||
| 28 | Buenaventura Muñoz Rodríguez (1853–1925) | – February 7, 1924 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1910–1923) | |||
| 29 | Andrés Tornos y Alonso (1854–1926) | – November 30, 1926 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1912–1924) | |||
| 30 | Rafael Bermejo Ceballos-Escalera (1857–1929) | – January 28, 1929[4] [5] | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1910–1926) | |||
| 31 | Francisco García Goyena y Alzugaray (1859–1935) | – April 25, 1930 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1904–1929) | |||
| 32 | Antonio Marín de la Bárcena (1858–1930) | – October 6, 1930 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1909–1930) | |||
| 33 | José María Ortega Morejón (1860–1948) | – April 20, 1931 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1918–1930) | |||
| 34 | Diego Medina y García (1866–1942) | – August 21, 1936 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1930–1931) | See presidents of the Second Republic | ||
| 35 | Mariano Gómez González (1883–1951) | – April 1, 1939 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1932–1936) | |||
| 36 | Felipe Clemente de Diego y Gutiérrez (1866–1945) | – August 15, 1945 | Member of the General Codification Commission (1938) | Francisco Franco | ||
| 37 | José Castán Tobeñas (1889–1969) | – December 2, 1967[6] | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1934–1945) | |||
| 38 | Francisco Ruiz-Jarabo (1901–1990) | [7] – June 12, 1973 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1944–1945) | |||
| 39 | Valentín Silva Melero (1905–1982) | [8] – August 4, 1977[9] | Member of Parliament (1949–1973) | |||
| Juan Carlos I | ||||||
| 40 | Ángel Escudero del Corral (1916–2001) | [10] – October 24, 1980 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1967–1977) | |||
| Presidents of the Supreme Court and of the General Council of the Judiciary (1980–present) | ||||||
| 41 | Federico Carlos Sainz de Robles y Rodríguez (1927–2005) | – October 29, 1985 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1979–1980) | Juan Carlos I | ||
| 42 | Antonio Hernández Gil (1915–1994) | [11] – November 8, 1990 | President of the Council of State (1982–1985) | |||
| 43 | Pascual Sala (1935–) | [12] – July 25, 1996 | President of the Court of Auditors (1988–1990) | |||
| 44 | Javier Delgado Barrio (1932–) | [13] – November 8, 2001 | Magistrate of the Constitutional Court (1995–1996) | |||
| 45 | Francisco José Hernando (1936–2013) | [14] – September 26, 2008 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1986–2001) | |||
| 46 | Carlos Dívar (1941–2017) | [15] – June 30, 2012 | 7thPresident of the National Court (2001–2008) | |||
| 47 | Gonzalo Moliner (1944–) | [16] – December 11, 2013 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1998–2008) | |||
| 48 | Carlos Lesmes (1958–) | – October 12, 2022 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (2010–2013) | |||
| Felipe VI | ||||||
| - | Francisco Marín Castán (1952–) | – present | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (2000–2022) | |||