Denunciar injusticias. Mujeres contra malos jueces (Corona de Castilla, finales siglo XV)

Abstract

Durante el Antiguo Régimen, los jueces se alzaban como la figura central del ámbito judicial, eran ellos quienes "determinaban la justicia". Su imagen se enaltecía, al actuar por designación del rey, quien era considerado Vicario de Dios en la tierra para hacer justicia en su nombre. De todos modos, cuando los magistrados cometían algún tipo de abuso, solían ser denunciados por las personas afectadas y debían responder por ello. En numerosas ocasiones, esas denunciantes eran mujeres, las que, como se ha demostrado, tenían una amplia presencia ante los estrados de la justicia. En esta oportunidad, se analiza, en una primera parte, la trascendencia de la figura del juez; y luego, acusaciones de mujeres contra malos jueces, en el ámbito jurisdiccional de la Corona de Castilla, hacia finales del siglo xv.

During the Old Regime, the judges were the main figure of the judicial sphere, "stating the justice". Furthermore, their image was crucial because they were designated by the king, who was considered, in his turn, the Vicar of God on Earth in order to make justice in his name. However, when the magistrates committed some kind of abuse, they used to be denounced by the affected people and had to respond. Frequently, those complainants were women, who, as studied, had a large presence before the law courts. In the following paper, I analyze in the first place the transcendence of the figure of the judge and, in the second place, the accusations of women against bad judges, in the jurisdictional area of the Crown of Castile, at the end of the 15th century.