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Country Background

Mexico is located in North America bordering the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is bounded by Belize, the United States, and Guatemala. The capital of Mexico is Mexico City. The official language is Spanish. The country’s population in 2016 was approximately 123 million. Mexico is a predominantly Christian country, with about 83% of the population Roman Catholic.

Constitution & Legal Structure

Mexico is referred to as a federal presidential republic. The system of government is civil law with US constitutional law influence and judicial review of legislative acts. The original authors of the Mexican Federal Constitution of 1917 borrowed the government structure and powers from the US Constitution. The principles of separation and checks and balances are consolidated in the three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Constitutional Status of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no constitutional status in Mexico.

Jurisdiction(s) of Islamic Law

Islamic law has no official jurisdiction of operation in Mexico.

Dominant School of Islamic Law

Mexico has no official school of Islamic law. 

Sources of Law for Legal Research

Official Publications

• Legislative
  
  • Congreso de la Union consisting of Cámara de Diputados and Cámara de Senadores
  • Diario oficial (official gazette)
  • Legislación Federal - full text of Mexican federal laws in HTML and PDF; in Spanish
• Executive
  • Presidencia de la República
  • Procurador General de la República [Attorney General]
• Judicial
  • Suprema Corte de Justicia de la Nación 
  • Consejo de la Judicatura Federal

 Unofficial Databases

• FAOLEX: Mexico (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) database of national laws and regulations on food, agriculture, and renewable natural resources.
• GLIN Archive: Mexico [1814–2011] (Law Library of Congress)
• NATLEX: Mexico (International Labour Organization) database of national laws on labor, social security, and related human rights.
• RefWorld Legal Information: Mexico (UNHCR)
• WIPO Lex: Mexico (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].