NCJ Number
133198
Date Published
1991
Length
41 pages
Annotation
This study by the United Nations Latin American Institute for Crime Prevention and the Treatment of Offenders (ILANUD) studies the current administration of justice in the Central American region. The study is based on the assumption that democracy and justice must co-exist, and that when justice is strengthened, the interests of the people will be protected and the state of democracy as the natural way of living will be achieved.
Abstract
There is a descriptive analysis, accompanied by a chart, describing the judicial system of the Central American countries including Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama. Each section discusses the constitutional and regulatory basis for the judicial system; relations between the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of government; formal and real independence; strengths and limitations of the system; opportunities for financial and technical assistance; and United Nations and, specifically, ILANUD involvement with the country's judicial system.