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Country Background

Bolivia is located in Central South America. It is bounded by Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru. The capital of Bolivia is La Paz. In addition to Spanish, there are dozens of native and indigenous languages officially recognized by the Constitution. The country’s population in 2016 was approximately 11 million. Bolivia is a predominantly Christian country, with about 77% of the population Roman Catholic.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Bolivia is referred to as a presidential republic. It is a civil law system influenced by Roman, Spanish, canon, French and indigenous law. The system of government is based on principles of separation and checks and balances and has three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Constitutional Status of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Bolivia.

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Bolivia.

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Bolivia has no official school of Islamic law.

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • Congreso Nacional composed of the Cámara de Senadores and Cámara de Diputados
• Executive
  • Presidente
  • Vicepresidencia
  • Ministerio de Información Gubernamental
• Judicial
  • Tribunal Constitucional
  • Tribunal Supremo Electoral

 Unofficial Databases

• The official website of the Plurinational State of Bolivia has a complete list of links, including links to the Executive branch (Presidency, Vice Presidency, Ministries, and others), Legislative and Judicial branches, private and public universities, state agencies, state companies, Bolivian newspapers, TV networks, radios, statistics, police, municipal institutions, tourism information, and the Official Gazette (which has a law search engine). 
• NATLEX: Bolivia (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights
• RefWorld Legal Information: Bolivia (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Bolivia IP Laws and Treaties (World Intellectual Property Organization)

References:

For an extended list of legal resources for this country, see the Library of Congress’s Research Guide, and for a narrative review, see the GlobaLex Foreign Law Research Guide (most updated version, where available). The Constitution is available in the LOC Guide in its original language and at Constitute in English and Arabic translation. For full versions of past constitutions, amendments, and related legislation, see HeinOnline World Constitutions Illustrated or Oxford Constitutions of the World [subscription required for each].