In Custodia Legis
Official blog from the Law Library of Congress
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Congress Considering a Bill to Decriminalize Abortion (Oct. 25, 2012) by Graciela
On September 25, 2012,
Topic: Abortion
Jurisdiction: Uruguay
Disqualifications for Individuals Convicted of Sex Crimes Against Minors (Aug. 27, 2012) by Graciela
On June 13, 2012, Law 20594 was passed to amend the Criminal Code to include disqualifications for individuals convicted of sexual crimes against minors. (Ley ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Chile
Government Submits Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana (Aug. 27, 2012) by Graciela
On August 8, 2012, the President of Uruguay submitted legislation to Congress with a single provision, establishing state control and regulation of the importation, production, acquisition, ...
Topic: Narcotics and drug abuse
Jurisdiction: Uruguay
New Law Creates Environmental Courts (Aug. 01, 2012) by Graciela
On June 18, 2012, Chile's legislature passed Law 20600 on the creation of new environmental courts, thereby granting the Superintendency of the Environment the power to ...
Topic: Environment
Jurisdiction: Chile
Congress Approves Framework Law for Peace (Jun. 25, 2012) by Graciela
On June 14, 2012, Colombia's Congress approved a constitutional amendment that provides the legal framework for peace talks with leftist guerrilla groups. This process would give ...
Topic: Peace
Jurisdiction: Colombia
New Law on Transgender Rights Approved (May. 16, 2012) by Graciela
On May 9, 2012, the Congress of Argentina passed a law that recognizes the right to gender ...
Topic: Human rights
Jurisdiction: Argentina
Criminal Code Amendment to Include Femicide (May. 03, 2012) by Graciela
On April 18, 2012, Argentina's Candaacute;mara de Diputados (the lower house of the country's Congress) approved, by unanimous vote, a bill that amends the Criminal Code ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Argentina
Supreme Court Decision on Abortion (Mar. 16, 2012) by Graciela
On March 13, 2012, the Supreme Court of Argentina rendered a decision in the case of an abortion performed on a 15-year-old adolescent, who became pregnant ...
Topic: Abortion
Jurisdiction: Argentina
New Law on the Disabled (Mar. 08, 2012) by Graciela
On March 2, 2012, President Evo Morales of Bolivia promulgated the General Law on the Disabled, Law No. 223, aimed at improving the quality of life ...
Topic: Disability
Jurisdiction: Bolivia
Bill Penalizes "Grooming" of Minors on the Internet (Feb. 08, 2012) by Graciela
On November 2, 2011, the Senate of Argentina approved and sent to the Candaacute;mara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies) for further debate a bill that penalizes ...
Topic: Children
Jurisdiction: Argentina
Member Countries Block Entrance of Ships with Falkland Islands Flags (Dec. 30, 2011) by Graciela
Argentina and the United Kingdom have disputed sovereignty over the territory of the Falkland/Malvinas Islands ever since the UK's occupation of the islands in 1833. The ...
Topic: International law
Jurisdiction: Mercosur
Proposed Changes to the Penal Code to Increase the Sanction against Public Unrest (Oct. 11, 2011) by Graciela
On October 2, 2011, President Sebastiandaacute;n Pinera of Chile submitted a proposal to amend the Penal Code (CP) (Codigo Penal, Aug, 12, 1874, updated as ...
Topic: Criminal law and procedure
Jurisdiction: Chile
Referendum on Right to Vote of Paraguayans Residing Abroad (Oct. 05, 2011) by Graciela
On October 9, 2011, for the first time in more than 22 years of democracy, Paraguay will hold a referendum on an amendment to article 120 ...
Topic: Elections
Jurisdiction: Paraguay
Draft Legislation on Limitation of Farmland Ownership by Foreigners (Sep. 28, 2011) by Graciela
President Fernandez de Kirchner of Argentina has submitted draft legislation to that country's Congress that would limit land ownership by foreigners. (Proteccion al Dominio Nacional ...
Topic: Real property
Jurisdiction: Argentina
Reinstatement of Wealth Tax (Sep. 28, 2011) by Graciela
As a response to the serious economic crisis in Spain, the government decided to temporarily reinstate the wealth tax for fiscal years 2011 and 2012. (
Topic: Taxation On September 8, 2011, the Peruvian Congress passed by a unanimous vote the new Law on the Right of Consultation of Indigenous Peoples. (Ley 29785 ... Topic: Native peoples On September 7, 2011, Chile's Congress approved draft legislation (Biblioteca del Congreso Nacional de Chile (BCN) site (Sept. 7, 2011)) that would amend the
Topic: Education The Colombian government announced that in mid-September 2011 a bill on a new Electoral Code will be ready to be submitted to the country's Congress. (
Topic: Elections On August 26, 2011, the two major political parties in Spain, the ruling Socialists (PSOE) and the opposition Popular Party (PP), agreed on a constitutional amendment ... Topic: Constitutional law On July 28, 2011, the Bolivian Congress passed a new Law on Telecommunications, Information and Communications Technology (LTICT) (Ley General de Telecomunicaciones, Tecnologias de Informacion ... Topic: Communications and electronic information The United States and Colombia have negotiated a free trade agreement (FTA) whose ratification has been pending in the U.S. Congress since 2006. The suspended ratification ... Topic: Trade and commerce On June 17, 2011, the legislature of Argentina passed Law 26683 to amend the Criminal Code in order to update the criminal treatment of money ... Topic: Criminal law and procedure The Government of Spain, through its Ministry of Health, is preparing a new bill on "death with dignity" that is expected to be ready to be ... Topic: Death and dying On October 8, 2010, the President of Bolivia signed the Law Against Racism and Any Form of Discrimination (Law 45, Gaceta Oficial de Bolivia (Oct. 8, ... Topic: Discrimination The Constitutional Court (CC) of Colombia decided on August 17, 2010, that the Acuerdo Complementario para la Cooperacion y Asistencia T;cnica en Defensa y Seguridad entre ... Topic: Treaties and agreements By August 20, 2010, Spain's government is expected to have approved the final Bill on Transparency and Access to Public Information (Anteproyecto de Ley de Transparencia ... Topic: Freedom of information On July 20, 2010, the Congreso de los Diputados (the lower house of Spain's parliament) opposed a proposal from the Partido Popular (PP) requesting that the ... Topic: Women A trade agreement between Colombia and the European Union is ready to be signed by the parties, possibly on May 19, 2010, during the fourth summit, ... Topic: Trade and commerce On April 1, 2010, the Peruvian Congress passed Law No. 29517, which declares all closed facilities, health care centers, educational centers, public and private means of ... Topic: Tobacco and smoking On December 14, 2009, Argentina's President Cristina Kirchner issued an emergency Decree (Decreto de Necesidad y Urgencia [Emergency Decree or DNU] 2010/2009, BOLETIN OFICIAL (B.O.), Dec. ... Topic: Constitutional law A joint session of Spain's Congreso de los Diputados (Lower House) voted on December 17, 2009, on an abortion reform bill. (Ley sobre Salud Sexual y ... Topic: Abortion Argentina adopted Law 26551 on November 18, 2009 (BOLETIN OFICIAL, Nov. 26, 2009, available at http://www.infoleg.gov.ar/infolegInternet/resaltaranexos/160000-164999/1 Topic: Criminal law and procedure On November 18, 2009, Argentina's Congress passed Law 26549, which adds a provision to the Code of Criminal Procedure to allow the courts to order the ... Topic: Criminal law and procedure On October 10, 2009, Argentina's Congress adopted a new Law on Audio-Visual Communications, also called the Media Law. (Law 26522, Oct. 10, 2009, InfoLEG, available at ... Topic: Communications and electronic information On October 7, 2009, Peru's Special Revision Commission on the reform of the Criminal Code approved an amendment that would decriminalize abortions performed in cases of ... Topic: Abortion On October 29, 2009, Argentina's Congress started formally debating two bills that would amend the current Civil Code to allow same-sex marriage. The bills are supported ... Topic: Family Ecuador has withdrawn from the International Center for the Settlement of Disputes (ICSID), the international arbitration agency of the World Bank, terminating its membership of 23 ... Topic: Arbitration On June 29, 2009, Chile deposited with the United Nations its instrument of ratification of the Rome Statute, becoming the last South American country to become ... Topic: International law On April 20, 2009, the Law on Access to Public Information, also known as the Law on Transparency, became effective (Law No. 20285, DIARIO OFICIAL (Aug. ... Topic: Freedom of information The Committee on Criminal Legislation of the Argentine Congress is currently debating a bill on juvenile criminal justice that would govern the criminal prosecution of children ... Topic: Criminal law and procedure On March 11, 2009, the head of the government of the Principat d' Andorra signed the "Declaration of the Principat d'Andorra" in Paris, pledging to pass ... Topic: Banks and financial institutions The Colombian government, on March 3, 2009, issued Decree 614 of February 27, 2009 (DIARIO OFICIAL (Feb. 27, 2009)) which allows the government to seek from ... Topic: Criminal law and procedure On February 26, 2009, European Union member countries met to evaluate the possibility of resettling terror suspects from the U.S. naval base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. ... Topic: Terrorism On February 28, 2008, the Bolivian Congress, in a vote boycotted by the opposition, approved the holding of a referendum on May 4 on a draft ... Topic: Constitutional law Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Ecuador, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Venezuela have agreed to create a regional development bank based on a proposal of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, in ... Topic: Banks and financial institutions
Jurisdiction: SpainNew Law Granting Right of Consultation to Indigenous Peoples (Sep. 27, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: PeruCongress Approves Draft Legislation to Combat Bullying in Schools (Sep. 21, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ChileAmendments to Electoral Code (Sep. 09, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ColombiaProposed Constitutional Amendment to Include Debt Ceiling Provision (Aug. 30, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: SpainNew Telecommunications Law (Aug. 26, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: BoliviaFree Trade Agreement and Labor Issues (Aug. 04, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: Colombia / United StatesCriminal Code Amended to Include Money Laundering (Jul. 20, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ArgentinaBill on Dignified Death (Feb. 02, 2011) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: SpainLaw Against Racism and Any Form of Discrimination (Nov. 18, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: BoliviaConstitutional Court Suspends Military Cooperation Agreement (Aug. 26, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: Colombia / United StatesBill on Transparency and Access to Public Information (Aug. 20, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: SpainCongress Rejects Proposal to Prohibit Use of Niqab or Burka in Public Spaces (Aug. 12, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: SpainTrade Agreement Ready to Be Signed in May (Apr. 21, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: Colombia / European UnionAnti-Smoking Law (Apr. 21, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: PeruEmergency Decrees on President of the Central Bank, Payment of External Debt (Jan. 27, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ArgentinaLower House of Legislature Votes on Abortion Reform Bill (Jan. 05, 2010) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: SpainLaw Decriminalizing Libel and Slander Passed (Dec. 07, 2009) by Graciela
60774/norma.htm); it amends the Criminal Code, eliminating the criminal ...
Jurisdiction: ArgentinaLaw Amending Code of Criminal Procedure to Allow Compulsory DNA Extraction (Dec. 07, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ArgentinaNew Media Law (Nov. 23, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ArgentinaCongress Debates Legislation Decriminalizing Abortion (Nov. 06, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: PeruCongress Debates Bill on Gay Marriage (Nov. 06, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ArgentinaWithdrawal from International Arbitration Agency (Oct. 08, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: EcuadorRatification of Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Jul. 06, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ChileLaw on Transparency (Apr. 29, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ChileJuvenile Criminal Justice Reform (Apr. 29, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: ArgentinaLegislation to Lift Bank Secrecy Promised (Mar. 18, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: Andorra, Principality ofDecree Grants Freedom to Guerrillas Who Demobilize and Free Hostages (Mar. 12, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: Colombia Receiving of Guantanamo Detainees Considered (Mar. 10, 2009) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: SpainConstitutional Referendum (Mar. 02, 2008) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: BoliviaBank of the South (Nov. 02, 2007) by Graciela
Jurisdiction: South America
