The Judiclal System THERE is no independent judiciary « ... the courts [reads the law] receive instructions from the leadership of the Revolution which are compulsory ... > The judicial system is only an agency of the Council of Ministers which regulates and controls ail courts and legal agencies. The highest judicial administrative body is the Council of Ministers of the Supreme People's Court which transmits to the lower courts the « ... instructions of the leadership of the Revolution which is compulsory ... > (2). The system centrallzes ail four judicial branches; ordinary, milltary, political, and the People's Courts for minor offenses. The judges of the People's Courts are laymen. The President of the Republic, the Minlsters, and the members of the Polltical Bureau of the CPC are exempt from the juridiction of the courts and can be tried only by special Party courts (3). Private law practice 1s prohibited. Defendants in court cases can be represented only by state appointed lawyers even when the State itself 1s being sued. Judges, juries, and other Judicial personel must be ideologically reliable (4). « ... knowledge and study of Marxism-Leninism, Marxist sociology and the materialist interpretation of history are indispensable prerequlsites for the true integral education of a revolutionary judge ... (5). The Communlst Party of Cuba U NDER the name «People's Sociallst Party» (PSP) the Communist Party was organized in 1925. Under Castro, it WB.3 known as Integrated Revolutionary Organizations (ORI) ; the United Party of the Sociallst Revolution (PURS), and, since 1965, as the Communist Party of Cuba (CPC). The old Communist Party was never on good terms with Castro, not only because of its collaboration with Batista, but (2) Carmelo Mesa-Lago, Cuba ln the 1970's; University of New Mexico, 1974, p. 68. (3) Ibid., p. 68 (unless otherwise noted, Mesa.-Lago's sources are !rom Granma, the official organ of the Commun!st Party of Cuba). (4) Mesa-Lago; ibid., p. 68. (5) Granma; January 6, 1974. 49
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