Legal System of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is located in Central America N Caribbean. It is geographically situated in central america, bordering both the caribbean sea and the north pacific ocean, between nicaragua and panama. The country achieved independence on 15 september 1821 (from spain). The capital is San José.

Government Overview

Government Type: presidential republic Chief of State: President Rodrigo CHAVES Robles (since 8 May 2022) Head of Government: President Rodrigo CHAVES Robles (since 8 May 2022) Cabinet: Cabinet selected by the president Administrative Divisions: 7 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia); Alajuela, Cartago, Guanacaste, Heredia, Limon, Puntarenas, San Jose National Holiday: Independence Day, 15 September (1821) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Legal System

The legal system of Costa Rica is described as civil law system based on Spanish civil code; Supreme Court reviews legislative acts International Law: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: many previous; latest effective 8 November 1949 Amendment Process: proposals require the signatures of at least 10 Legislative Assembly members or petition of at least 5% of qualified voters; consideration of proposals requires two-thirds majority approval in each of three readings by the Assembly, followed by preparation of the proposal as a legislative bill and its approval by simple majority of the Assembly; passage requires at least two-thirds majority vote of the Assembly membership; a referendum is required only if approved by at least two thirds of the Assembly

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court of Justice (consists of 22 judges organized into 3 cassation chambers each with 5 judges and the Constitutional Chamber with 7 judges) Judge Selection: Supreme Court of Justice judges elected by the National Assembly for 8-year terms with renewal decided by the National Assembly Subordinate Courts: appellate courts; trial courts; first instance and justice of the peace courts; Superior Electoral Tribunal

Legislative Branch

The legislative structure consists of unicameral

Citizenship and Suffrage

Citizenship by Birth: yes Citizenship by Descent: yes Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory

Historical Background

Although explored by the Spanish early in the 16th century, initial attempts at colonizing Costa Rica proved unsuccessful due to a combination of factors, including disease from mosquito-infested swamps, brutal heat, resistance from Indigenous populations, and pirate raids. It was not until 1563 that a permanent settlement of Cartago was established in the cooler, fertile central highlands. The area remained a colony for some two-and-a-half centuries.

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