Known as the Sala IV, it holds a monopoly on annulling legislation and hears amparo, habeas corpus and constitutional consultations. Filing requires no lawyer, no fee and no particular form, which produces one of the highest per-capita constitutional caseloads in the world.
How the court is constituted
- Tier
- constitutional
- Court type
- Constitutional chamber
- Jurisdiction
- National
- Seat
- San José
- Established
- 1989
- Composition
- Seven magistrates, elected for eight-year renewable terms.
- Appointment
- Elected by the Legislative Assembly with a two-thirds majority; renewal is automatic unless two-thirds vote against.
- Caseload
- Around 20,000 amparo filings a year, many resolved within weeks.
- Languages
- Spanish
Where an appeal goes next
Final domestically; its own precedent binds all other authorities.
Filing at this court
- Cost
- Free; no lawyer required
- Form
- Any writing, in any language, including by fax or email
Decisions worth knowing
- Resolución 2313-951995
Held that Inter-American Court advisory opinions bind Costa Rica, striking down compulsory journalist licensing.
- Resolución 2000-023062000
Annulled the decree permitting in vitro fertilisation, later reversed by the Inter-American Court in Artavia Murillo.
- Resolución 2018-127822018
Gave the legislature 18 months to end the exclusion of same-sex couples from marriage.
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