On 12 May 1982, the Organic Law of the Court of Audit was enacted on the basis of the draft law adopted by the Council of Ministers on 23 October 1979 and presented to the Congress of Deputies on 8 November 1980. This law referred its development to a subsequent law, which was approved by Law 7/1988, of 5 April 1988, on the Functioning of the Court of Audit.
In order to discover the antecedents of the current Court of Audit, we must go back to the 16th century, when Philip II ordered the creation, in substitution of the previous institutions, of a Court of Audit, whose purpose was to resolve disputes relating to public economic-financial management and its accounting records.
As detailed in the aforementioned organic laws, the Court of Audit is the supreme body auditing economic management and reports directly to the Cortes Generales. It is unique in its order and extends its jurisdiction to the entire national territory, without prejudice to the existence of other related bodies provided for in the statutes of autonomy.
The functions assigned to this court are mainly twofold. On the one hand, the function of auditing the economic activity of the public sector, which is external, permanent, necessary and of an advisory nature. And on the other hand, the function of prosecution, of those persons or potential liabilities of the persons in charge of the management or use of public funds or effects.
The Court of Audit is made up of 12 auditors elected by the Cortes Generales. Specifically, six from the Congress of Deputies and another six from the Senate. The president is chosen from among them.
With this stamp, Correos celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Organic Law of the Court of Audit of 12 May 1982. Hence, it shows the façade of the building that houses the Court of Audit. The stamp includes a QR which links to a video that the Court of Audit has produced to show its history and work.
