The high court of Canary Islands is the maximum expression of the judiciary in the autonomous community. It was established 23 May 1989 as an integrative organ of the judicial framework. The high courts are the product of the plan envisaged in article 26 of substantive law of the judiciary. 

It consists of three courts:

• Civil and Criminal Court
• Contentious Administrative Court
• Employment Tribunal

Civil and Criminal Court

The Chamber of Civil and Penal Matters of the Canary Islands Superior Court of Justice is aware of the lawsuits and proceedings against people considered privileged owing to their position, such as high ranking representatives of the Canary Islands Autonomous Community, as well as the instruction and ruling of open lawsuits and proceedings against judges, magistrates and prosecutors, for crimes or offences committed in the course of their duties, providing this responsibility is not attributed to the Supreme Court.

Moreover, it hears appeals against jury decisions pronounced by the jury court of Canary Islands and deals with questions of competence among criminal courts in the region that do not have another high common court.

The civil and criminal court is presided over by the president of the High Court of the Canary Islands. In addition, the court consists of three magistrates, one of whom is appointed by the General Council of the Judiciary from among a short-list of three, presented by the Parliament of the Canary Islands, made up of jurists of recognized prestige. After being appointed, the selected candidate is considered a member of the judicial profession for all intents and purposes. 

The court is located in the same building of the Provincial Court of Las Palmas, in the neighbourhood of Vegueta, at Plaza de San Agustín, no. 6.    

Contentious Administrative Courts

The Chamber of Contentious Administrative Matters is the supervising organ of public administrations in the Canary Islands region. It is aware of the appeals relating to the actions of local and autonomic entities, the appeals lodged against the resolutions of the courts of contentious matters, and the questions of jurisdiction amongst those courts.

There are two courts with two sections in each of the two capitals of the Canary Islands. The court in Las Palmas is located at Plaza de San Agustín, no. 6, while the court in Santa Cruz de Tenerife is located at Plaza de San Francisco, no. 15.  

Labour Court

The employment tribunal of the high court of Canary Islands is responsible for proceedings affecting the interests of employees and employers of a higher sphere than employment tribunals. It also has competence for appeals against rulings pronounced by employment tribunals and commercial courts in labour matters or incidents pertaining to bankruptcy proceedings that affect workers, as well as questions of jurisdictional authority among regional employments tribunals. 

There are two labour courts of the High Court of the Canary Islands, in both autonomous capitals, Las Palmas and Santa Cruz de Tenerife.  They consist of two presidents and eight magistrates distributed between these two courts. 

They are located at Plaza de San Agustín, no. 6, in Las Palmas, and Plaza de San Francisco, nº 15, in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. 

The government Court

The government court is the internal government organ of courts and tribunals in the region. Its main objective is organization of the daily operation of the courts and tribunals in the autonomous region. 

The government court by 14 members and is representative in character, as half of its members are elected democratically by judges and magistrates of the autonomous community.

The president of the government court is the president of the High Court of the Canary Islands. In addition to the president, the presidents of the contentious administrative court and employment tribunal, the president of the provincial court, the chief judge of the city of Canary Islands and the court clerk of the government court are ex officio members. 

The government court has broad jurisdictional authority for organizing the operation of the courts and tribunals for which it is responsible. Its duties include:

• To verify that the posts of judges assigned to the said courts are adequately filled.
• Analyzing the complaints lodged by citizens regarding the administration of justice.
• Reviewing the sanctions imposed by judges on participants in judicial proceedings.
• Proposing inspection visits to the presidents.
• Maintaining institutional relations with other public administrations with the aim of improving the functioning of the administration of justice.
• Preparing studies and proposals directed at the General Council of the Judiciary.
• To exercise disciplinary faculties over magistrates and judges.

 The government court is located in Casa Regental, an emblematic 16th century mansion. This building was the home of the regent or president-regent of the Royal Court of the Canary Islands, the highest court of the archipelago, established by order of Charles V in 1526.