Supreme Court of Chile

Supreme Court of Chile
Corte Suprema de Justicia de Chile
The Justice Courts Palace (Palacio de los Tribunales de Justicia) in Santiago, seat of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals of Santiago
33°26′21″S 70°39′11″W / 33.4391964°S 70.6531933°W / -33.4391964; -70.6531933
Established	December 29, 1823; 200 years ago (1823-12-29)
Location	Santiago
Coordinates	33°26′21″S 70°39′11″W / 33.4391964°S 70.6531933°W / -33.4391964; -70.6531933
Composition method	Ministers are nominated by the Court itself, appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate
Authorised by	Constitution of Chile
Judge term length	75 years old or until ceasing in good conduct
Number of positions	21
Website	pjud.cl
President of the Supreme Court
Currently	Ricardo Blanco Herrera
Since	2024

The Supreme Court of Chile is the highest court in Chile. It also administers the lower courts in the nation. It is located in the capital Santiago.

In the Chilean system, the court lacks the broader power of judicial review—it cannot set binding precedent or invalidate laws. Instead, it acts on a case-by-case basis. Trials are carried out in salas, chambers of at least five judges, presided over by the most senior member.

The members of the Supreme Court are appointed by the President from a list of five choices prepared by the sitting members of the court. Two of the choices must be senior judges from appellate courts; the other three may have no judicial experience. The president's choice must then be ratified by a two-thirds majority of the Senate.

Supreme Court justices must be at least 36 years old. Once appointed, a Chilean Supreme Court justice is entitled to remain on the Court until the compulsory retirement age of 75. The only exception is if a justice can be removed by "notorious abandonment of duty," as deemed by a majority of both chambers of Congress.

The Supreme Court has twenty-one members, called ministers (ministros). One member is selected to serve a two-year term as President of the Supreme Court. The composition of the Supreme Court changes relatively quickly, as judges attain the retirement age of 75.

Note: List last updated on 21 August 2023.^[1]

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008)

The Chilean Supreme Court has been involved in many important human rights cases regarding the former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.

• In July 2002, it dismissed a case against Pinochet, saying that he was unfit to stand trial due to dementia.
• In August 2004, it confirmed a lower court's decision that Pinochet should lose his automatic immunity he acquired from being a former senator.
• In March 2005, it reversed a lower court's decision stripping Pinochet of immunity in the case of the assassination of Carlos Prats.
• In August 2007, it upheld a life sentence for Hugo Salas Wenzel, the first senior official to receive a life term for human rights violations conducted during the reign of Pinochet. [1]

The Chilean Supreme Court has made controversial decisions in the area of gay rights.

• In 2004, it confirmed a lower court's decision that stripped former judge Karen Atala of custody of her three daughters because she is a lesbian. In 2012, the case was overturned by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
• In January 2004, it removed judge Daniel Calvo from his position on the Santiago Court of Appeals, after media reports that he visited a sauna frequented by gay men. (See Spiniak Case.)

• In November 2005, the Chilean Supreme Court ruled that the sale of contraceptive morning-after pill Postinor 2 is constitutional.

On September 21, 2007, the court accepted Peru's request to extradite former president Alberto Fujimori, on human rights and corruption charges.

• (in Spanish) Chilean Judiciary website
• Supreme Court of Chile in Tamizh

33°26′21″S 70°39′11″W / 33.43917°S 70.65306°W / -33.43917; -70.65306