Legal System of Panama

Panama 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 colombia and costa rica. The country achieved independence on 3 november 1903 (from colombia); 28 november 1821 (from spain). The capital is Panama City.

Government Overview

Government Type: presidential republic Chief of State: President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024) Head of Government: President José Raúl MULINO Quintero (since 1 July 2024) Cabinet: Cabinet appointed by the president Administrative Divisions: 10 provinces (provincias, singular - provincia) and 4 indigenous regions* (comarcas); Bocas del Toro, Chiriquí, Coclé, Colon, Darien, Embera-Wounaan*, Guna Yala*, Herrera, Los Santos, Naso Tjer Di*, Ngabe-Bugle*, Panama, Panama Oeste, Veraguas National Holiday: Independence Day (Separation Day), 3 November (1903) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal

Legal System

The legal system of Panama is described as civil law system; Supreme Court of Justice reviews legislative acts International Law: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: several previous; latest effective 11 October 1972 Amendment Process: proposed by the National Assembly, by the Cabinet, or by the Supreme Court of Justice; passage requires approval by one of two procedures: 1) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings and by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in a single reading without textual modifications; 2) absolute majority vote of the Assembly membership in each of three readings, followed by absolute majority vote of the next elected Assembly in each of three readings with textual modifications, and approval in a referendum

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court of Justice or Corte Suprema de Justicia (consists of 9 magistrates and 9 alternates and divided into civil, criminal, administrative, and general business chambers) Judge Selection: magistrates appointed by the president for staggered 10-year terms Subordinate Courts: appellate courts or Tribunal Superior; Labor Supreme Courts; Court of Audit; circuit courts or Tribunal Circuital (2 each in 9 of the 10 provinces); municipal courts; electoral, family, maritime, and adolescent courts

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

Historical Background

Explored and settled by the Spanish in the 16th century, Panama broke with Spain in 1821 and joined a union of Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela that was named the Republic of Gran Colombia. When the union dissolved in 1830, Panama remained part of Colombia. With US backing, Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903 and promptly signed a treaty with the US allowing for the construction of a canal and US sovereignty over a strip of land known as the Panama Canal Zone on either side of the structure.

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