European and U. S. Influences on Latin American Administrative Law

Ricardo Perlingeiro, Universidade Federal Fluniense (UFF), has published A Historical Perspective on Administrative Jurisdiction in Latin America: Continental European Tradition versus US Influence. Here is the abstract.

From the perspective of US influence, this text analyses the history of administrative jurisdiction, starting from the 19th Century, in the 19 Latin American countries of Iberian origin (Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Dominican Republic, Uruguay and Venezuela). The analysis includes the US unified judicial system and procedural due process of law to decisions by the administrative authorities, the fertile field of primary jurisdiction, which is in conflict with the Continental European tradition firmly established in Latin American administrative law. While setting out the contradictions of administrative jurisdiction in Latin American countries that result from importing rules without putting them in the proper context, the text seeks to identify trends and create perspective to build a model of administrative justice specific to Latin America, drawing on the experiences acquired in the United States and Continental Europe.

The article contents: Introduction. 1 Administrative jurisdiction: judicial, non-judicial and hybrid models. 1.1 Constitution of Cadiz of 1812. Junta Grande of 1811 (Argentina). Belgian Constitution of 1831. Reglamento para el Arreglo de la Autoridad Ejecutiva Provisoria de Chile (1811). Law of 16 and 24 August 1790. Ley de Santamaría Paredes. Administrative Court of the Land of Baden of 1863. 1.2 Lack of independence of French administrative litigation and the unified judicial system in Latin America in the 19th Century. La justice déléguée of 1872. 1.3 The unified judicial system in Latin America in the 19th Century and questions of governance. 1.4 The specialization of jurisdiction in Europe and the emergence of administrative law. 1.5 The evolution of the unified judicial system in the USA: Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) of 1887. 1.6 Models of administrative jurisdiction in Latin America in the 19th and 20th Centuries. 1.6.1 Hybrid (judicial and non-judicial) administrative jurisdiction: Honduras, Brazil. 1.6.2 Non-judicial administrative jurisdiction: Bolivia, Panama, Dominican Republic, Colombia, Guatemala, Ecuador, Uruguay, Mexico. 1.6.3 Dualist judicial jurisdiction: Colombia, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador, Guatemala, Dominican Republic. 1.6.4 Monist judicial jurisdiction (uninterrupted period): Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Paraguay, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, El Salvador, Cuba, Brazil. 1.6.5 Monist judicial jurisdiction (limited period): Colombia, Guatemala, Dominican Republic. 1.6.6 Monist judicial jurisdiction (intermittent periods): Nicaragua, Honduras, Ecuador, Panama, Bolivia. 1.6.7 Monist judicial jurisdiction (currently in effect and having specialized entities): Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Paraguay, Mexico, Costa Rica, Peru, El Salvador, Cuba, Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, Nicaragua, Honduras and Ecuador. 1.7 Developmental and comparative framework of the independent administrative jurisdiction under the Latin American Constitutions. 2 Administrative decisions preceded by due process of law. 2.1 Signs of US due process of law in Latin America: The 5th (1791) and 14th (1868) Amendments of the US Constitution. 2.2 Origin of due process of law: Magna Carta of 1215, Liberty of Subject Act (28 Edward 3) of 1354, Observance of Due Process of Law Act (42 Edward 3) of 1368. 2.3 Right to a fair trial on the international scene: US Bill of Rights of 1789, Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 1948, European Human Rights Convention of 1950, International Covenant on Political and Civil Rights of 1966, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights of 1981, Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union of 2000, American Convention on Human Rights of 1969. 2.4 Due process of law in Latin American laws and constitutions. 2.5 Case law of the European and Inter-American Courts of Human Rights: independence and impartiality in non-judicial administrative proceedings, and due process of law prior to administrative decisions. 2.6 Distinction between the judicial processo administrativo, non-judicial processo administrativo and procedimento administrativo. 2.7 Administrative due process prior to decisions by administrative authorities in Latin America. Closing considerations.

The full text is not available from SSRN.