Business law in Chile

Legal Framework

Independence of Justice

Judicial system is independent.

Equal Treatment of Nationals and Foreigners

Foreign nationals in the country can enjoy treatment at par with the natives from the judiciary, including commercial disputes.

The Language of Justice

Spanish.

Recourse to an Interpreter

Access to an interpreter is possible.

Sources of the Law and Legal Similarities

The main source of the law is the Constitution of 1980, which as been amended several times. The country's legal system is based on the Code of 1857 derived from Spanish law and subsequent codes influenced by French and Austrian law, as well as various judicial reviews of legislative acts by the Supreme Court. Chile has not accepted compulsory ICJ jurisdiction. In June 2005, Chile completed an overhaul of its criminal justice system to adopt a new U.S.-style adversarial system.

Checking National Laws Online

Library of the Chile National Congress