The highest court, organised in specialised chambers. Its Governing Council issues instructions and agreements that bind lower courts on how law is to be applied uniformly — a source of law with no close analogue in the common-law Caribbean. Judges are elected by the National Assembly and may be recalled by it, so independence is structured differently from the rest of the region. The 2022 Family Code, approved by referendum, brought a substantial new body of family jurisprudence including same-sex marriage and adoption.
How the court is constituted
- Tier
- supreme
- Court type
- Supreme court
- Jurisdiction
- Final review in criminal, civil, administrative, labour, family, economic and military matters, and issuance of binding instructions on the uniform application of law.
- Seat
- La Habana
- Established
- 1973
- Composition
- A President, Vice-President and professional judges, sitting with lay judges (jueces legos) in many matters.
- Appointment
- Elected by the National Assembly of People's Power, which may also revoke their mandate.
- Languages
- Spanish
Where an appeal goes next
None. Constitutionality of statutes is determined by the National Assembly, not the courts.
Filing at this court
- Recurso de casación
- Filed through the provincial court within the period set by the procedural rules
- Habeas corpus
- Available under the 2019 Constitution and Law 143/2021 on criminal procedure
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