Legal System of Peru

Peru is located in South America. It is geographically situated in western south america, bordering the south pacific ocean, between chile and ecuador. The country achieved independence on 28 july 1821 (from spain). The capital is Lima.

Government Overview

Government Type: presidential republic Chief of State: President José Enrique JERÍ Oré (since 10 October 2025) Head of Government: President José Enrique JERÍ Oré (since 10 October 2025) Cabinet: Council of Ministers appointed by the president Administrative Divisions: 24 departments (departamentos, singular - departamento), 1 province* (provincia), and 1 constitutional province** (provincia constitucional); Amazonas, Ancash, Apurimac, Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cajamarca, Callao**, Cusco, Huancavelica, Huánuco, Ica, Junín, La Libertad, Lambayeque, Lima, Lima*, Loreto, Madre de Dios, Moquegua, Pasco, Piura, Puno, San Martin, Tacna, Tumbes, Ucayali National Holiday: Independence Day, 28-29 July (1821) Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory until the age of 70

Legal System

The legal system of Peru is described as civil law system International Law: accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

Constitutional Framework

The constitution has the following history: several previous; latest promulgated 29 December 1993, enacted 31 December 1993 Amendment Process: proposed by Congress, by the president of the republic with the approval of the Council of Ministers or by petition of at least 0.3% of voters; passage requires absolute majority approval by the Congress membership, followed by approval in a referendum; a referendum is not required if Congress approves the amendment by greater than two-thirds majority vote in each of two successive sessions

Judicial Branch

Highest Court(s): Supreme Court (consists of 16 judges and divided into civil, criminal, and constitutional-social sectors) Judge Selection: justices proposed by the National Board of Justice (a 7-member independent body), nominated by the president, and confirmed by the Congress; justices can serve until mandatory retirement at age 70 Subordinate Courts: Court of Constitutional Guarantees; Superior Courts or Cortes Superiores; specialized civil, criminal, and mixed courts; 2 types of peace courts in which professional judges and selected members of the local communities preside

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 until the age of 70

Historical Background

Ancient Peru was the seat of several prominent Andean civilizations, most notably that of the Incas whose empire was captured by Spanish conquistadors in 1533. Peru declared its independence in 1821, and remaining Spanish forces were defeated in 1824. After a dozen years of military rule, Peru returned to democratic leadership in 1980 but experienced economic problems and the growth of a violent insurgency.

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