Colombia

Council of State

The Council of State is the supreme administrative court of Colombia. Its website, which is in Spanish, provides cases, recent administrative acts, a jurisprudence bulletin and news. Publications are available under ‘Comunicaciones’, including reports on electoral / constitutional affairs and books on contentious administrative law, human rights, indigenous rights, environmental law, gender equality, popular and group actions and other topics.

Normativa (Legislation)

Colombian legislation provided by the Presidency's administrative department, DAPRE. Each type of legislation - laws, decrees, directives, and so on - is browseable by year, 2015 onwards; for older instruments, select ‘Normas anteriores’. There is a basic search facility. The page also links to the Diario Oficial (Official Gazette), the SUIN law portal, and information about ‘tutela’ writs. All the content is in Spanish.

Sistema Único de Información Normativa (Unified Legislation Information System)

The main legislation site for Colombia, with the current and previous constitutions, updated codes, and laws from 1864 onwards, as well as court decisions on the validity or constitutionality of legislation. Additional content, available via the home page, includes a browseable collection of codes, constitutions and key statutes (‘Normas Destacadas’) and translations of the Constitution into indigenous languages: Inga, Guambiana, Ikun, Kamentsa, Kubeo, Wayuunaiki and Nasa Yuwe. The site is provided by the Ministry of Justice, in Spanish.

International Treaties

Treaties section of the official Colombian law portal, SUIN-Juriscol. Has two parts: ‘Biblioteca Virtual de Tratados’, a searchable register of treaties involving Colombia, including the date in force and other details; and ‘Leyes Aprobatorias de Tratados’, a set of treaty approval laws from 1873 onwards, many of which include the text of the treaty in question.

Constitution of Colombia

The Colombian Constitution of 1991 is available on the website of the Comparative Constitutions Project at the University of Texas at Austin. The document incorporates amendments up to 2015. There are chapters on fundamental rights, the organisation of the state and the role of the executive, legislative and judicial branches.

Constitutional Court of Colombia

The role of the Colombian Constitutional Court is to determine the constitutionality of laws and protect the fundamental rights of the people. The court's website provides a case database, judicial bulletins, collections of cases by topic, statistics, court rules and other information. An official English translation of the Constitution is available via the 'Inglés' (English) menu, together with an English-language introduction to the court and searchable abstracts of key decisions.

The 'Amparo' Context in Latin American Jurisdiction: an approach to an empowering action

Article explaining the writ of Amparo, a form of protection of individual human rights used in Latin American jurisdictions. The article was written by Gloria Orrego Hoyos who is the Legal Reference Librarian and Professor of Law and Legal Research at the Universidad de San Andrés in Buenos Aires. The article was published in 2013 (and updated in 2023) on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School at the New York University School of Law.

World Law: Colombia

Part of WorldLII's Countries service covering the Republic of Colombia. A full range of browse and search features are provided. Link collections include materials relating to the Courts, Government, Legislation, and Parliament with specific subject sections dealing with Elections, Banking and Finance, Civil and Criminal Law and Indigenous Law. A series of stored searchs will automatically query all of WorldLII for items about Colombia. The service is run by WorldLII, from the Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII).

Congreso de la Republica de Colombia: Camara de Representantes

Official website of the Chamber of Representatives (legislative branch) of the Congress of Colombia. There are profiles of representatives and information on the work of the Chamber. Full text codes and legislation back to 1992 can be viewed on the site along with a copy of the Constitution and a list of bills. An outline of the work of the various commissions and committees is also given. The site is available in Spanish only.

 

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