Americas

Antigua and Barbuda	Constitution (Section 4) Criminal Procedure Act Death Sentence (Expectant Mothers) Act 1953 Police Act 1952 Prevention of Crimes Act 1874 Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 Public Order Act 1972 Riot Act 1897
Argentina	Code of Conduct for Functionaries in charge of Law Enforcement 1979 Constitution (Section 18) Decree No.836/2008 on the Police Professional Staff Regimen of the Police Aviation Security Decree No. 637/2003 on Security Forces Code of Conduct for Officials Draft Organic Law for the Federal Police 1958 (Law No. 333) General Law of the Argentinian Coast Guard 1969 General Regulation of Weapons and Shooting R.G.P.F.A. No. 8/2012 Internal Security Act 2002 (Law 24059) Legislation on Use of Force and Firearms Law No 7530 on the use of firearms and explosives Law No. 21.965 Rules governing relations between the Federal police and Police Personnel 1979 Law of the National Gendarmerie 19.349/ 71 Ministry of Security Resolution 1069/12 Ministry of Security Resolution 933/12 National Arms and Explosives Act 1973 Partial Regulatory Decree on Arms and Explosives Act 1975 Penal Code 1984 Procedural Penal Code 1991 Regime of Armaments’ Provision for the Police 2009 Resolution 2208/2008 on Arrest and Detention of Minors Regulatory Decree of the National Gendarmerie 1669/01
Bahamas	Constitution (Art. 16) Penal Code 1873, as amended in 2010
Barbados	Constitution (Art. 12) Public Order Act 1970
Belize	Constitution (Art. 4) Control of Public Meetings and Public Processions Act Belize 1967, revised edition 2000 Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act 1992, revised edition 2000 Criminal Code, revised edition 2003 Firearms Act 1913, revised edition 2000 Public Safety Act Belize 1935, revised edition 2000 Riots Compensation Act Belize 1895, revised edition 2000
Bolivia	Constitution (Art. 15) Penal Code 1999
Brazil	Constitution Criminal Code 1940, as amended in 2015 Criminal Procedure Code 1941, as amended in 2012 Decree No. 6044/2007 on the Protection of Human Rights Defenders Law No. 13.060/2014 on Use of Less-lethal Weapons Law No. 4.898/1965 on Abuse of Authority Mato Grosso Decree No. 961/2012 on Firearms
Canada	Constitution (Art. 7) Criminal Code 1985, as amended in 2013 Police Act 1996, as amended in 2014 Police Services Act 1990, as amended in 2009
Chile	Constitution (Art. 19) Constitution 1980 Criminal Procedure Code 1906, as amended in 2007 Military Justice Code 1944, as amended in 2009 Penal Code 1874, as amended in 2001
Colombia	Constitution (Art. 11) Constitution 1991 [Spanish] Decree No. 4065/2011 on the Creation of the “Unidad Nacional de Proteccion” Regulation on the Handling of Public Demonstrations 2017 [Spanish] Regulation on Police Use of Force and Firearms 2017 [Spanish] Penal Code 2000
Costa Rica	Constitution (Art. 21) Law of the Ombudsman 2012 Penal Code 1970
Cuba	Constitution (Art. 10)
Dominica	Constitution (Art. 2) Criminal Law and Procedure Act 1873, as amended in 1992 Police Act 1940, as amended in 1990 Public Order Act 1954, as amended in 1990
Dominican Republic	Constitution (Art. 37) Draft Organic Law of the National Police 2014 Organic Law No. 590/2016 on the National Police
Ecuador	Constitution (Art. 66) Legislation Regarding Progressive Use of Force (compilation) Penal Code 1971 Penal Code of the National Police 1960 Penal Procedure Code 2000, as amended in 2010
El Salvador	Constitution (Art. 2) Law of the Ombudsman 1992 Organic Law of the Civil National Police 2001, as amended in 2011 Penal Code 1983, as amended in 2013 Penal Procedure Code 1996. as amended in 2010 Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism, as amended in 2010
Grenada	Constitution (Art. 2)
Guatemala	Constitution Article 3 Governmental Agreement No. 285/2012 – Army support to the Civil Security Forces Law of Support to the Civil Security Forces 2000 Law on Firearms and Munitions No. 38/1989 Ministerial Agreement No. 103/2008 Penal Code 1973
Haiti	Constitution (Arts. 19, 20) Law on National Police 1994 Penal Code 1985
Honduras	Constitution (Title III Declarations, Rights and Guarantees) [Spanish] Executive Decree 001/2002 on the Armed Forces in Policing [Spanish] Penal Code 1983 (Including the 2017 reforms) [Spanish] Penal Procedure Code 1999 (Including the 2017 reforms) [Spanish] Decree No. 18-2017 and Decree 69-2017 [Spanish]
Jamaica	Constitution (Art. 14) The Constabulary Force Act 1935, as amended in 2009 The Coroners Act 1990 The Independent Commission of Investigations Act 2010 The Riot Act 1969
Mexico	Agreement No. 04/2012 on Use of Force Agreement No. 05/2012 on Detention Constitution Article 14 Directive 003/2009 on Use of Force by the Navy Directive 2012 on Use of Force by the Army and the Air Forces Federal Constitution 1917, as amended in 2013 Federal Law on Administrative Responsibilities of Public Servants 2002, as amended in 2012 Federal Law to Prevent and Sanction Torture 1991, as amended in 1994 General Law on the National System of Public Safety 2009, as amended in 2013 Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists 2012 Law of Mobility of the the Federal District 2014 Law of the National Human Rights Commission 1992, as amended in 2014 Law on Federal Police 2009, as amended in 2011 Military Justice Code 1933, as amended in 2012 National Code of Criminal Procedure, as amended in 2016 National Law of the Integral Juvenile Justice 2016 Penal Code Mexico 1931, as amended in 2010 Regulations of the Law for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders and Journalists 2012
Nicaragua	Constitution (Art. 23) Criminal Procedure Code 2001 Decree regulating Political Demonstrations 1924 Law of the Ombudsman 1995 Law of the National Police 1996 Military Penal Code 2005 Penal Code 2008 Police Act 1996
Panama	Constitution (Art. 17) Penal Code 2007, as amended in 2008 Penal Procedure Code 2008
Paraguay	Constitution (Art. 4) Law on Freedom of Assembly and Protest 1997 Law on the General Organization of the Armed Forces 1993 Law on the Status of Military Personnel 1997 Penal Code 1997 Penal Procedure Code 1998
Peru	Anti-Terrorism Act 1997 Constitution (Art. 10) Criminal Procedure Code 2003 Law No. 30151/2014 on Firearms Penal Code 1991, as amended in 1999
Saint Kittis and Nevis	Constitution (Art. 4) Police Act 2002
Saint Lucia	Constitution (Art. 2) Criminal Code 2004
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Constitution (Art. 2)
Suriname	Constitution (Art. 14)
Trinidad and Tobago	Constitution (Art. 4) Criminal Law Act 1979, as amended in 2000 Criminal Procedure Act 1925, as amended in 2009 Police Complaint Authority Act 2006, as amended in 2011 Prisons Act 1900, as amended in 2010
United States of America	First Amendment Assemblies Act 2004 New York State Penal Law 1967, Article 10.10 State Use of Lethal Force Statutes (all States, extracts)
Uruguay	Constitution (Art. 7) Criminal Procedure Code 1980 Law No. 18.315/2008 on Police Procedure Penal Code 1933, as amended in 2000
Venezuela	Constitution (Arts. 43, 55) Decree No 5.895 on Police Service 2008 Law for the Disarmament and Control of Weapons and Ammunitions 2014 Law of Coordination of Citizens Security 2011 Law of Political Parties, Public Meetings and Demonstrations 2010 Law Reforming the Decree No. 5.895 on Police Service 2009 Organic Law of the Ombudsman 2004 Penal Code 1964 Penal Procedure Code Resolution No. 008610/2015 on Use of Force Resolution No. 113/2011 on Police Conduct Statute on Police Function 2009 Constitution of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela

Disclaimer

The documents listed are not supposed to present an exhaustive collection of all domestic legislation covering the topic of policing and human rights. It cannot be guaranteed that they represent the most current and up-to-date information. Furthermore, they are not presented as good practices nor their inclusion on this website should be understood as a judgment of (or an appreciation for) State compliance with international human rights standards. These documents are collected for the sole purpose of facilitating research for any individual or organisation working on policing issues.

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

Canada

Chile

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Grenada

Guatemala

Haiti

Honduras

Jamaica

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Saint Kittis and Nevis

Saint Lucia

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

United States of America

Uruguay

Venezuela

Disclaimer

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