Fernando VII, absolute king by the grace of god. Definition and legal framework of “political crime” in his reign 1808-1833

Abstract

We highlight the figure of the monarch Ferdinand VII and the staunch defense of his absolute sovereignty in a period of crisis for the monarchy marked by the transition to the new liberal State. The repression will define its reign in an attempt to eradicate Liberalism by all traditional methods and also some new ones. At the Ferdinand’s Absolutism, the defenders of the constitutional system were considered as the worst criminals for the Throne and the Altar, and guilty of the crime of lesa Magestad humana y divina. In his persecution, special ecclesiastical and military jurisdictions played a leading role, because of the crisis of King’s Justice. Finally, and after overcoming the reforms promoted during the liberal periods of his Reign, thanks to the concentration of power in the hands of the monarch, the repression of political criminals was conducted from the palace. Where the Ministry of Grace and Justice, the General Police Superintendence of the Kingdom and the dissemination of repressive legislation had all the leadership.