About: General Indian Court (Mexico)

The General Indian Court of Mexico (Juzgado General de Indios) was a judicial body established 1585-1607 by the Spanish crown in New Spain to adjudicate disputes between indigenous communities and individuals. Creating a court that allowed Indians swift, inexpensive, and effective justice came after the failure of crown efforts to provide legal redress through Spanish courts and legal procedures. A monograph by historian Woodrow Borah examines the precedents for establishing the court, the procedures it adopted, and the financing legal aid to Indians through a tax of a half real. Previous to the court’s formal establishment, viceroys handled a good number of complaints by indigenous, a practice initiated by New Spain’s first viceroy, Don Antonio de Mendoza.