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| Chilean Constitutional Council | |
|---|---|
| Name | Constitutional Council |
| Native name | Consejo Constitucional |
| Formation | 2023 |
| Jurisdiction | Republic of Chile |
| Headquarters | Santiago |
| Leaders | Evelyn Matthei |
Chilean Constitutional Council
The Constitutional Council was a body convened in Chile during 2023–2024 to draft a new constitutional text following the rejection of the 2022 proposed constitution. It operated amid political negotiations involving Gabriel Boric, Sebastián Piñera, Michelle Bachelet, Partido Socialista de Chile, Renovación Nacional, Unión Demócrata Independiente, Partido por la Democracia, Frente Amplio, and Partido Comunista de Chile. The Council’s work intersected with institutional anchors such as the Congreso Nacional de Chile, the Corte Suprema de Justicia de Chile, the Contraloría General de la República de Chile, and regional actors like the Región Metropolitana de Santiago.
The Council emerged after the 2022 plebiscite that rejected the draft produced by the Convención Constitucional elected in 2021, a process sparked by the 2019–2020 Estallido Social and the subsequent 2020 national plebiscite that endorsed a rewrite of the Constitución de 1980. Political negotiations involving Gabriel Boric’s administration, opposition coalitions including Chile Vamos, and mediating figures such as Ricardo Lagos and Joaquín Lavín led to a new mechanism combining a Presidential initiative with a specially elected advisory body. International observers from organizations like the Organization of American States and the European Union monitored the transition alongside academic institutions such as the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and the Universidad de Chile.
The Council was composed of 50 members elected in regional ballots under rules negotiated in the Congreso Nacional de Chile. Members included representatives from parties such as Partido Radical de Chile, Democracia Cristiana de Chile, Comunes (Chile), Partido Liberal de Chile, Evópoli, and independents endorsed by civic groups like Movimiento Social Patriótico and Nuevo Trato. Leadership featured prominent politicians and former officeholders including Evelyn Matthei as a presiding figure and rapporteurs drawn from legal scholars affiliated with Universidad de Valparaíso, Universidad Diego Portales, Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez, and research centers like the Centro de Estudios Públicos. Regional representation brought in figures from the Región de Los Lagos, Región de Valparaíso, Región de Antofagasta, and Región de Magallanes.
Mandated to draft a constitutional proposal for submission to a mandatory referendum, the Council’s remit was delineated by laws enacted by the Congreso Nacional de Chile and supervised by the Tribunal Constitucional de Chile. Its powers included proposing articles on institutional design related to the Presidencia de la República de Chile, the Cámara de Diputadas y Diputados de Chile, the Senado de Chile, the Corte Suprema de Justicia de Chile, and autonomous bodies like the Banco Central de Chile. Limitations were set by constitutional guarantees and previous accords honoring international commitments under treaties such as the American Convention on Human Rights and obligations toward indigenous rights recognized in instruments associated with the Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos.
The Council adopted rules of procedure modeled on committee systems found in legislative bodies like the Congreso Nacional de Chile and parliamentary assemblies observed in the Cámara de los Comunes (Reino Unido), with working commissions on topics including institutional design, rights, fiscal order, and environmental regulation drawing expertise from university law faculties such as Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Chile and think tanks like the Instituto Libertad y Desarrollo and Observatorio Ciudadano. Sessions were public and televised from chambers in Santiago, procedures were recorded for oversight by the Contraloría General de la República de Chile, and legal advisors referenced precedents from the Constitución de 1980 and comparative constitutions such as those of Argentina, Perú, Colombia, and España.
Major debates concerned the balance between a strengthened Presidencia de la República de Chile and reinforced legislative prerogatives for the Cámara de Diputadas y Diputados de Chile, the structure and role of the Senado de Chile, and the design of judicial institutions including the Corte Suprema de Justicia de Chile and specialized courts like administrative tribunals. Proposals addressed indigenous recognition and autonomy involving groups represented by organizations such as the Consejo de Pueblos Indígenas and demands echoed from the Mapuche conflict and proposals from civil society organizations like Observatorio de Derechos Humanos. Fiscal arrangements referenced the Banco Central de Chile’s independence, tax frameworks debated with input from the Servicio de Impuestos Internos, and environmental clauses drew on cases like the Conflicto por Aysén and policy frameworks advanced by the Ministerio del Medio Ambiente.
The Council’s work unfolded within polarized partisan contestation between coalitions such as Apruebo Dignidad and Vamos por Chile, intense media coverage from outlets like El Mercurio, La Tercera, Radio Cooperativa, and international press including The New York Times and BBC News, and mobilization by social movements tied to the Estallido Social and student groups from the Federación de Estudiantes de la Universidad de Chile. Opinion polling by institutions such as Centro de Estudios Públicos and Cadem tracked approval ratings, while protests and demonstrations in plazas like Plaza de la Constitución and Plaza Italia reflected contested public reception influenced by campaign efforts of leaders like José Antonio Kast and Camila Vallejo.
Upon approval in the referendum, the Council’s draft required promulgation by the Presidencia de la República de Chile and harmonization with existing laws via transitional provisions enacted by the Congreso Nacional de Chile and oversight from the Tribunal Constitucional de Chile. Implementation involved coordination with the Contraloría General de la República de Chile, judicial adaptation within the Corte Suprema de Justicia de Chile, and regional administrative changes affecting entities in the Región de La Araucanía and Región de Coquimbo. International reactions included statements from the Organization of American States and the United Nations while academic commentary appeared in publications tied to the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile and Universidad de Chile.