Guatemala · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Guatemala, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- Constitution
- Article 46 gives ratified human-rights treaties precedence over domestic law.
- Statutes of Congress
- Single chamber; constitutional statutes need a two-thirds majority.
- Codes
- Civil Code 1963, Labour Code (Decree 1441), Migration Code (Decree 44-2016).
- Corte de Constitucionalidad case law
- Binding on all authorities.
The legislative process
Bills go through three readings and article-by-article approval in Congress. The President may veto within 15 days; Congress overrides with two-thirds. Bills touching constitutional matters must be sent to the Corte de Constitucionalidad for a prior opinion.
Found something out of date on Guatemala · Legislation?
Corrections are reviewed against the primary source before anything changes.