government: presidential republic
state of civil and political rights: Free
constitution: 1 May 1853, amended in August 1994
legal system: based partly on US system and partly on European law
legislative system: bicameral National Congress (Congreso Nacional) consists of the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies
judicial system: Supreme Court, the nine Supreme Court judges are appointed by the president with approval of the Senate
religion: 92% Catholic; Protestant, Jewish and other
death row:
year of last executions: 0-0-0
death sentences: 0
executions: 0
international treaties on human rights and the death penalty:International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
1st Optional Protocol to the Covenant
Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (aiming to the abolition of the death penalty)
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment
American Convention on Human Rights
Protocol to the American Convention on Human Rights to abolish the Death Penalty
Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture
Statute of the International Criminal Court (which excludes the death penalty)
situation:
The death penalty was abolished for ordinary crimes in 1984. Art. 18 of the Constitution provides for "the complete abolition of the death penalty for political motives." A constitutional amendment, passed in 1994, recognizes international treaties signed by Argentina as equivalent to constitutional norms.
On August 6, 2008 , with the abolition of its Military Code of Justice, Argentina, already abolitionist for ordinary crimes, erased the final traces of the death penalty from the country’s laws.
The last execution in Argentina dates back to 1916.
On December 16, 2020, Argentina again co-sponsored and voted in favour of the Resolution on a Moratorium on the Use of the Death Penalty at the UN General Assembly.
