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, 48 people have served as president in 49 presidencies, and one as acting president. 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, four of them ad interim. After his resignation, justice Francisco Marín Castán assummed the office ad interim, but not the position of president of the CGPJ.
The current and 49th president of the Supreme Court, as well as 9th president of the General Council of the Judiciary is Isabel Perelló, since September 2024.[2] [3]
| President[4] | Tenure | Tenure length | Prior/other position | Head of State | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ramón Posada y Soto (1746–1815) | – 4 May 1814 | Indies Councilor (1810–1812) | Ferdinand VII | ||
| Office abolished between 1814 and 1820 | ||||||
| 2 | Antonio Cano Manuel y Ramírez de Arellano (1774–1838) | – 27 May 1823 | State Councilor (1820) | |||
| Office abolished between 1823 and 1834 | ||||||
| 3 | José Hevia y Noriega (1776–1834) | – 23 July 1834 | State Councilor (1833–1834) | Isabella II | ||
| 4 | Vicente Cano Manuel y Ramírez de Arellano (1774–1838) | – 9 January 1838 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1821–1822) | |||
| 5 | Francisco Fernández del Pino Burgos-León (1768–1843) | – 2 September 1840 | President of the Finance Supreme Court (1834–1835) | |||
| 6 | José María Calatrava y Peinado (1781–1846) | – 29 July 1843 | 92nd President of the Congress of Deputies (1839) | |||
| 7 | Nicolás María Garelli (1777–1850) | – 12 February 1850 | Senator for Valencia (1843) | |||
| 8 | José María Manescau (1772–1850) | – 22 December 1850 | Senator for life (1849–1850) | |||
| 9 | Lorenzo Arrazola y García (1795–1873) | – 9 April 1853 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1849–1851) | |||
| 10 | Francisco Olabarrieta y Urquijo (1784–1858) | – 8 December 1854 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1843–1853) | |||
| 11 | José Alonso Ruiz de Conejares (1781–1855) | – 13 April 1855 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1854) | |||
| 12 | Claudio Antón de Luzuriaga (1792–1874) | – 17 October 1856 | Minister of State (1854–1855) | |||
| 13 | Lorenzo Arrazola y García (1795–1873) | – 16 September 1864 | 8thPresident of the Supreme Court (1851–1853) | |||
| 14 | Ramón López Vázquez (1807–1868) | – 13 October 1868 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1856–1864) | |||
| 15 | Joaquín Aguirre de la Peña (1807–1869) | – 19 July 1869 | Chairman of the Revolutionary Superior Junta (1868) | Francisco Serrano (regent) | ||
| 16 | Pedro Gómez de la Serna (1806–1871) | – 12 December 1871 | 7th Attorney General (1854–1856) | |||
| Amadeo I | ||||||
| 17 | Cirilo Álvarez Martínez de Velasco (1807–1878) | – 6 November 1878 | Senator for Madrid (1872) | |||
| See presidents of the First Republic | ||||||
| 18 | Fernando Calderón Collantes (1811–1890) | – 23 July 1882 | Minister of Grace and Justice (1877–1879) | |||
| Alfonso XII | ||||||
| 19 | Eduardo Alonso Colmenares (1820–1888) | – 31 March 1888 | Senator for life (1877–1882) | |||
| Alfonso XIII | ||||||
| 20 | Eugenio Montero Ríos (1832–1914) | – 10 September 1888 | Minister of Development (1885–1886) | |||
| 21 | Hilario Igón y del Royst (?–1895) | – 16 July 1892 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1875–1889) | |||
| 22 | Emilio Bravo y Romero (1827–1893) | – 24 January 1893 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1874–1892) | |||
| 23 | Juan Francisco Bustamante (1824–1898) | – 10 September 1895 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1875–1889) | |||
| 24 | Santos Isasa y Valseca (1822–1907) | – 5 June 1901 | 17th | |||
| 25 | Eduardo Martínez del Campo y Acosta (1840–1911) | – 21 October 1909 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1891–1901) | |||
| 26 | José Aldecoa y Villasante (1838–1917) | – 19 June 1917 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1883–1910) | |||
| 27 | José Ciudad Aurioles (1849–1924) | – 5 March 1923 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1903–1917) | |||
| 28 | Buenaventura Muñoz Rodríguez (1853–1925) | – 7 February 1924 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1910–1923) | |||
| 29 | Andrés Tornos y Alonso (1854–1926) | – 30 November 1926 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1912–1924) | |||
| 30 | Rafael Bermejo Ceballos-Escalera (1857–1929) | – 28 January 1929[5] [6] | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1910–1926) | |||
| 31 | Francisco García Goyena y Alzugaray (1859–1935) | – 25 April 1930 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1904–1929) | |||
| 32 | Antonio Marín de la Bárcena (1858–1930) | – 6 October 1930 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1909–1930) | |||
| 33 | José María Ortega Morejón (1860–1948) | – 20 April 1931 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1918–1930) | |||
| 34 | Diego Medina y García (1866–1942) | – 21 August 1936 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1930–1931) | See presidents of the Second Republic | ||
| 35 | Mariano Gómez González (1883–1951) | – 1 April 1939 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1932–1936) | |||
| 36 | Felipe Clemente de Diego y Gutiérrez (1866–1945) | – 15 August 1945 | Member of the General Codification Commission (1938) | Francisco Franco | ||
| 37 | José Castán Tobeñas (1889–1969) | – 2 December 1967[7] | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1934–1945) | |||
| 38 | Francisco Ruiz-Jarabo (1901–1990) | [8] – 12 June 1973 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1944–1945) | |||
| 39 | Valentín Silva Melero (1905–1982) | [9] – 4 August 1977[10] | Member of Parliament (1949–1973) | |||
| Juan Carlos I | ||||||
| 40 | Ángel Escudero del Corral (1916–2001) | [11] – 24 October 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) | – 29 October 1985 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1979–1980) | Juan Carlos I | ||
| 42 | Antonio Hernández Gil (1915–1994) | [12] – 8 November 1990 | President of the Council of State (1982–1985) | |||
| 43 | Pascual Sala (1935–) | [13] – 25 July 1996 | President of the Court of Auditors (1988–1990) | |||
| 44 | Javier Delgado Barrio (1932–) | [14] – 8 November 2001 | Magistrate of the Constitutional Court (1995–1996) | |||
| 45 | Francisco José Hernando (1936–2013) | [15] – 26 September 2008 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1986–2001) | |||
| 46 | Carlos Dívar (1941–2017) | [16] – 30 June 2012 | 7thPresident of the National Court (2001–2008) | |||
| 47 | Gonzalo Moliner (1944–) | [17] – 11 December 2013 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (1998–2008) | |||
| 48 | Carlos Lesmes (1958–) | – 12 October 2022 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (2010–2013) | |||
| Felipe VI | ||||||
| - | Francisco Marín Castán (1952–) | – 4 September 2024 | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (2000–2022) | |||
| 49 | Isabel Perelló (1958–) | – present | Magistrate of the Supreme Court (2009–2024) | |||