Criminal
Adversarial procedure since 2017 and regulated cannabis
Ley 19.293 enacted a new Código del Proceso Penal, in force from November 2017, replacing written inquisitorial procedure with oral adversarial hearings led by the Fiscalía General de la Nación. Uruguay is also the first country to regulate the entire cannabis market by statute, under Ley 19.172 of 2013, covering production, distribution and sale.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — National criminal code and procedure
- Deadline — Detainee before a judge within 24 hours
- Deadline — Investigation: one year from formalisation, extendable to two
- Deadline — Appeal: within the terms set by the 2017 code for each decision
Governing law
- Código Penal Uruguayo
- Ley 19.293 - Código del Proceso Penal2017
- Ley 19.172 - Regulación del Cannabis2013
In practice
The 2017 procedural reform was the last major move to adversarial process in the Southern Cone and included plea agreements (proceso abreviado) that now resolve a large share of cases. Ley 19.172 created a state-regulated cannabis market with pharmacy sales, licensed home growing and membership clubs, administered by the IRCCA, and remains the most comprehensive national legalisation model in force.