La visita del doctor Alanís a los escribanos públicos del número de Jerez de la Frontera (1562). Ejercicio del oficio

Abstract

The visit to the notaries of Jerez de la Frontera, committed in 1562 by Felipe II to judge Alanís, allows us to know how those of the number exercised their trades. The bad practice emerges from the accusations made by the witnesses and the investigation carried out by the visitor through the interrogation of the protagonists and the inspection of the documentary material present on their desks. Thus, in extrajudicial matters, the authorization of prohibited deeds, the manipulation of the will of the grantors and the registration system applied are the preferred legal transgressions. Meanwhile, in judicial matters, the absences when it comes to examining witnesses, the partiality in the lawsuits, the distortion of the executive process and the infringement of the royal tariff in both spheres complete, among others, the list of faults that adorn Jerez notaries. At the same time, they denote the uniformity of Castilian practice even when they do not conform to the norm.