Decree of Necessity and Urgency

Decree of Necessity and Urgency
Name	Decree of Necessity and Urgency
Type	Executive decree
Jurisdiction	Argentina
Instituted	1936
Legal authority	Constitution of Argentina
Key cases	Aerolíneas Argentinas S.A. v. YPF, Aguirre v. Argentina, Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación

Decree of Necessity and Urgency is an extraordinary executive instrument used in Argentina to enact measures with immediate effect when normal legislative processes are deemed insufficient. It sits at the intersection of the Constitution of Argentina, precedent from the Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación jurisprudence, and political practice by administrations such as those of Juan Perón, Carlos Menem, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and Mauricio Macri. Use of the decree has provoked debates involving actors like the Argentine Chamber of Deputies, Argentine Senate, Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, and civil society groups including Centro de Estudios Legales y Sociales.

Definition and Legal Basis

The decree, formally known as "Decretos de Necesidad y Urgencia", derives its textual basis from articles of the Constitution of Argentina amended in 1994 and earlier constitutional texts rooted in the 19th-century constitutional tradition exemplified by the Buenos Aires Province Constitution. Courts such as the Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación and institutions like the Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos have interpreted the decree against doctrines from cases involving Aerolíneas Argentinas and disputes tied to YPF S.A. privatization. Political figures including Raúl Alfonsín, Néstor Kirchner, and Alberto Fernández have invoked the instrument in policy crises, generating legal analysis by scholars at Universidad de Buenos Aires, Universidad Torcuato Di Tella, and Universidad Austral.

Historical Origins and Use

The practice traces to executive traditions during the presidencies of Agustín Pedro Justo, the Infamous Decade, and emergency governance seen under Juan Perón and the Revolución Libertadora. In the late 20th century, episodes involving Carlos Menem's economic reforms, the 1994 constitutional amendment, and post-crisis measures after the 2001 Argentine economic crisis expanded controversial reliance on decrees. Subsequent administrations including Néstor Kirchner, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, and Mauricio Macri used decrees for matters tied to Aerolíneas Argentinas, YPF, Argentina–United States relations, and social policy contested by Confederación General del Trabajo and Comisión Nacional de Valores.

Constitutional and Legislative Framework

Article-based provisions in the Constitution of Argentina define prerequisites and limits, with parliamentary actors such as the Honorable Cámara de Diputados de la Nación and the Honorable Senado de la Nación empowered to review or annul decrees. Institutional mechanisms involve offices like the Presidencia de la Nación, the Ministerio de Economía, and the Auditoría General de la Nación, while legislative oversight draws on rules from Reglamento del Congreso de la Nación and precedents from disputes adjudicated by the Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación and provincial supreme courts such as the Cámara Federal de Apelaciones de Buenos Aires.

Procedure and Issuance

Issuance requires presidential signature often countersigned by ministers holding portfolios like Ministerio del Interior or Ministerio de Hacienda, with subsequent transmission to the Congreso de la Nación Argentina and publication in the Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina. Administrative practice references protocols used during states of exception declared by presidents such as Domingo Sarmiento, Hipólito Yrigoyen, and contemporary executives including Mauricio Macri; the procedural chain frequently involves consultation with legal advisers from the Asesoría General de la Nación and political negotiation with leaders of parliamentary blocs like those of Frente para la Victoria, Propuesta Republicana, and Frente de Todos.

Scope and Limitations

Scope covers urgent fiscal, administrative, and regulatory measures, but constitutional text and jurisprudence restrict decrees from altering fundamental rights protected under the Constitution of Argentina and international instruments such as the American Convention on Human Rights. Limits have been shaped by rulings in cases involving privatization and emergency finance tied to YPF and Aerolíneas Argentinas, and by political pushback from entities including Unión Cívica Radical, Partido Justicialista, Cámara Argentina de Comercio, and provincial administrations like Buenos Aires Province government.

Judicial Review and Challenges

The Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación and lower federal tribunals have reviewed the constitutionality of specific decrees, invoking doctrines developed in litigation involving Aerolíneas Argentinas, YPF, and pension reform controversies under administrations of Fernando de la Rúa and Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. Litigants ranging from labor unions such as CGT to NGOs like Fundación Poder Ciudadano have secured injunctions or annulments, while international bodies including the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights have commented on rights-related limits.

Political and Policy Implications

Use of decrees has strategic consequences for Argentine politics, affecting partisan competition among Partido Justicialista, Unión Cívica Radical, Frente de Todos, and Juntos por el Cambio, influencing policy outcomes in sectors regulated by Banco Central de la República Argentina, Ministerio de Salud, and Ministerio de Educación. Debates touch on separation of powers as understood in cases involving Corte Suprema de Justicia de la Nación, public finance crises like the 2001 Argentine economic crisis, and reform agendas advanced by leaders such as Carlos Menem, Néstor Kirchner, and Mauricio Macri, with scholarly analysis from institutions including Universidad de Buenos Aires and Universidad Torcuato Di Tella shaping ongoing institutional reform discussions.

Category:Law of Argentina