Literary values and contemporary jurisprudence in the Cuban judicial system inspired by Don Quixote

Abstract

This study examines the relationship between literature and justice, exploring how the ethical values in Cervantes' Don Quixote can be integrated into modern judicial systems. The objective is to identify how principles such as compassion, impartiality, and integrity, conveyed in Don Quixote's counsel to Sancho Panza, align with the principles enshrined in Cuba's Law on Courts of Justice. Through a qualitative and interpretative methodology, selected texts from Don Quixote were compared with articles from Cuban legislation, applying a non-statistical, convenience-based sampling approach. The findings indicate that these ethical literary values resonate with the Cuban judicial system, underscoring their potential to complement judges' technical training with a sensitivity toward equity and human rights. The study concludes that incorporating literary values into judicial education can enhance the ethical perspective of justice practitioners, offering a model that prioritizes human dignity. Finally, the study suggests that future research could expand this inquiry into other judicial and cultural contexts, promoting justice systems that are more equitable and humanitarian.