Costa Rica · Government
Government and administration in Costa Rica
How the executive, legislature and administrative state are organised, and which body is responsible for what.
The three branches
- Executive — President and two Vice-Presidents
- Four-year term; re-election only after sitting out two terms.
- Legislative — Legislative Assembly
- 57 deputies, four years, no immediate re-election.
- Judicial — Corte Suprema de Justicia
- Magistrates elected by the Assembly for eight years, renewed automatically unless two-thirds object.
- Electoral — Tribunal Supremo de Elecciones
- Treated as a de facto fourth branch with exclusive electoral authority.
How legislation is made
A bill passes two debates in the Legislative Assembly. The President may veto within ten working days; the Assembly overrides with two-thirds. Any deputy may refer a bill to the Sala Constitucional for pre-enactment review, and the chamber's finding of a procedural defect is binding.
Enforcement institutions
- Ministerio Público
- Prosecution service within the judiciary, headed by the Fiscal General.
- Organismo de Investigación Judicial
- Judicial police reporting to the Supreme Court, not the executive.
- Defensoría de los Habitantes
- Ombudsman reporting to the Legislative Assembly.
Government bodies and regulators
- judicialCorte Suprema de JusticiaHighest court with 22 magistrates in four chambers.
- judicialSala ConstitucionalConstitutional chamber created in 1989.
- executiveMinisterio PúblicoProsecution service within the judiciary.
- legislativeAsamblea LegislativaUnicameral legislature of 57 deputies.
- independentDefensoría de los HabitantesOmbudsman for inhabitants.
- independentTribunal Supremo de EleccionesFourth branch of state with exclusive electoral authority.
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