Legal System of Argentina

Argentina is located in South America. It is geographically situated in southern south america, bordering the south atlantic ocean, between chile and uruguay. The country achieved independence on 9 july 1816 (from spain). The capital is Buenos Aires.

Government Overview

Government Type: presidential republic Chief of State: President Javier Gerardo MILEI (since 10 December 2023) Head of Government: President Javier Gerardo MILEI (since 10 December 2023) Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president Administrative Divisions: 23 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 1 autonomous city*; Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Ciudad Autonoma de Buenos Aires*, Cordoba, Corrientes, Entre Rios, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Misiones, Neuquen, Rio Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tierra del Fuego - Antartida e Islas del Atlántico Sur (Tierra del Fuego - Antarctica and the South Atlantic Islands), Tucuman National Holiday: Revolution Day (May Revolution Day), 25 May (1810) Suffrage: 18-70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-17 years of age: optional for national elections

Legal System

The legal system of Argentina is described as civil law system based on Western European legal systems International Law: has not submitted an ICJ jurisdiction declaration; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: several previous; latest effective 11 May 1853 Amendment Process: a declaration of proposed amendments requires two-thirds majority vote by both houses of the National Congress followed by approval by an ad hoc, multi-member constitutional convention

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court or Corte Suprema (consists of the court president, vice president, 2 judges, 1 vacancy) Judge Selection: judges nominated by the president and approved by the Senate; ministers can serve until mandatory retirement at age 75; extensions beyond 75 require renomination by the president and approval by the Senate Subordinate Courts: federal-level appellate, district, and territorial courts; provincial-level supreme, appellate, and first-instance courts

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of bicameral Lower Chamber: Chamber of Deputies (Cámara de Diputados) (257 (all directly elected) seats) Electoral System (Lower Chamber): proportional representation Upper Chamber: Senate (Senado)

Citizenship and Suffrage

Citizenship by Birth: yes Citizenship by Descent: yes Suffrage: 18-70 years of age; universal and compulsory; 16-17 years of age: optional for national elections

Historical Background

In 1816, the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata declared their independence from Spain. After Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay went their separate ways, the area that remained became Argentina. European immigrants heavily shaped the country's population and culture, with Italy and Spain providing the largest percentage of newcomers from 1860 to 1930.

This article provides a summary of the legal system and governmental structure of Argentina based on the CIA World Factbook. The Factbook is a public domain publication of the United States Central Intelligence Agency.