Ley de Punto Final
|
A poster calling for a demonstration against the passing of the law. |
Ley de Punto Final (Spanish, roughly translated
Full Stop Law) was a law passed by the
National Congress of
Argentina after the end of the military dictatorship of the
Proceso de Reorganización Nacional (which started with a
coup d'état in 1976 and ended in 1983). Formally, this law is referred to by number (Law No. 23492), like all others in Argentine legislation, but
Ley de Punto Final is the only designation in common use, even in official speeches.
The law dictates the end of investigation and prosecution against people accused of political violence during the dictatorship, up to the restoration of democratic rule on
1983-12-10. It was passed on
1986-12-24, after only a 3-week debate. Its text is very short; it has seven articles. Article No. 5 excepts from the application of the law the cases of identity forgery and forced disappearance of minors.
The Ley de Punto Final was extremely controversial in its time and afterwards. It was proposed by the
Radical administration of President
Raúl Alfonsín as a means to stop the escalation of trials against military and others, after the
Trial of the Juntas had dealt with the top of the military hierarchies. In the
Chamber of Deputies, 114 deputies voted for the law, 17 against, and 2 abstained; in the
Senate, 25 senators voted for, and 10 against.
This law had a complement in the
Ley de Obediencia Debida (Law of Due Obedience), which exempted subordinates from accusation when they were carrying out orders. These two laws were repealed by the National Congress in 2003, and then definitely voided as unconstitutional by the
Supreme Court of Justice on
2005-06-14.
*
Juicio a las Juntas*
Ley de Obediencia Debida*
Carapintadas
*
Law 23492 - Full text of the
Ley de Punto Final.
