No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeArchiveLaw Penalizing Violence Against Women Advances

Law Penalizing Violence Against Women Advances

THE proposed law penalizing violence against women made some progress in Congress this week, as it was transferred Monday to the Constitutionality Commission for an analysis of the vote of the Constitutional Chamber of the Supreme Court (Sala IV), according to the Legislative Assembly.

The measure is scheduled to return to the floor of the assembly for a second and final vote on April 27.

The Sala IV, upon reviewing the proposed law, said it found two unconstitutional articles – numbers 21 and 31.

Article 21 would establish that the Costa Rican Social Security System and the Ministry of Justice must work together in the creation and operation of a system to carry out alternative sentences being proposed by the law and should dedicate human resources to that end.

Article 31 of the law would mandate prison sentences for those who force women to commit sexual acts causing pain or humiliation, carry out or view acts of exhibition, or watch or listen to pornographic material. The magistrates said sentences for these offenses are already outlined in current Costa Rican law, according to the assembly.

As a consequence, both articles will be reviewed by the Constitutionality Commission to see if they have been modified since the court’s ruling.

The judges did not express doubts about other portions of the proposed law, according to the assembly.

“There is a very important thing in this resolution of the Sala,” said Gloria Valerín, a Social Christian Unity Party legislator who has championed the proposed law.

“(The court) said it is constitutional, that it is not discriminatory to make laws in favor of women and we are not going to discuss that any longer.”

 

Trending Now

Retired Nicaraguan Army Captain Sentenced to 50 Years for Treason

A retired military officer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in Nicaragua for the crime of "treason against the homeland," his family denounced...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government...

Costa Rica’s Eyelash Viper Snake Is One of the Most Beautiful

There are at least 141 different species of snakes in Costa Rica. With that large number of species packed into such a tiny nation,...

Costa Rica’s Top Court Bans President Chaves from 2026 Election Campaign

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Thursday barred President Rodrigo Chaves from participating in the 2026 election campaign, ruling that he "illegitimately used" his...

Panama Regains Control of Bocas del Toro After Violent Protests

Panama’s government has regained control of Bocas del Toro province after months of violent anti-government protests sparked by pension reforms, officials announced. The unrest,...
Avatar
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica