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.

Court of Justice of the Andean Community

Website of the Court of Justice of the Andean Community (ECJCA) which settles disputes between Andean Community member states arising under Andean Community law and ensures the law is applied uniformly. Cases heard by the Court include infringement, action for annulment, labour lawsuits and arbitration claims. Case summaries and profiles of the judges are given on the site which can be viewed in Spanish only.

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.

Judicial Power and High Courts in Latin America

Online article providing an introduction to judicial power and the court systems in Latin America written by Gloria Orrego Hoyos who is Professor of Law and Legal Research at the Universidad de San Andrés and Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires. The guide was published in 2021 on the Globalex website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law. The author provides an overview to judicial power in the region, the constitutional courts and the court system in each country along with links to relevant resources.

Current Constitutional Developments in Latin America

Online article looking at constitutional law developments in Latin America written by Dante Figueroa who is a Senior Legal Information Analyst at the Law Library of Congress and an Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University Law Center and Jonathan Arendtwho is a Senior Associate at Albagli Zaliasnik Law Firm. The guide was published in 2016 (and updated in 2021) on the Globalex Website and made freely available by the Hauser Global Law School Program at the New York University School of Law.

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