Legal Research in the Dominican Republic

By Marisol Florén Romero

Marisol Florén Romero is the Assistant Director for Library Services and Foreign & International Law Librarian at Florida International University (FIU) College of Law. Marisol Florén-Romero manages FIU Law Library legal reference. She oversees the acquisition and development of FIU Law Library’s foreign and international collection and is the Special Collections librarian. Dr. Florén-Romero received her B.A. in History summa cum laude from the University of Navarra, in Pamplona, Spain; a M.L.S. with a minor in Latin American Librarianship from the University of Texas at Austin; and a Ph.D. in Library and Information Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Published September/October 2022

(Previously updated in July 2009, September 2012, November/December 2016, and in February 2019)

See the Archive Version!

General Information

Historical Background

The Dominican Republic is located in the Caribbean between the islands of Cuba and Puerto Rico. It is the second largest island of the Greater Antilles after Cuba. It supports a population of 11 million inhabitants.[1]

The island was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1492, and was named Hispaniola.[2] Although a Spanish colony, from 1607 forward France began to occupy the western side of Hispaniola by taking over large portions of land and converting them into agricultural developments, raising cattle, and stimulating an economy of French commercial goods.[3] The French colony that flourished on the western one-third of the island was officially recognized by Spain in 1697 under the Treaty of Ryswick and was named Saint Domingue. The Treaty of Ryswick divided the island into two distinctive countries: the French on the western side of the island and the Spanish on the eastern.[4] In 1795, pursuant to the Treaty of Basel, Spain ceded to France the eastern side of the island, giving to France control over the entire island of Hispaniola.

From 1795 to 1844, the Dominican Republic was governed successively by France, Haiti, Spain, and then Haiti again, until it finally declared its independence on February 27, 1844. The first National Constitution was signed on October 22, 1844. Unable to control the country effectively, the then-governing authorities ceded the country back to Spain in 1861. Two years later, on August 16, 1865, independence was restored, and a Second Republic proclaimed. Thereafter the new republic was subjected to a long power struggle between those who wanted to remain independent (The Blues) and those who supported the annexation of the country to France, Spain or the United States (The Reds).[5] The consequences of these conflicts led alternately to dictatorship (Ulises Heureaux, 1882 – 1899), anarchy (1899 – 1916), occupation of the territory by the United States military forces (1916 – 1924), dictatorship (Rafael L. Trujillo, 1930 -1961) and finally, democracy (1966 to present).

Structure of the Government

The Constitution defines the system of government of the Dominican Republic as being civilian, republican, democratic and representative.[6] The Constitution defines the State as a sovereign country, social and democratic founded on the respect for the human dignity and fundamental rights, and the separation of the powers of government.[7] The powers of the government are divided into three independent branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

Legislative Power

Legislative power is invested in the National Congress, which is composed of two chambers: the upper body, the Senate; and a lower body, the Chamber of Deputies.[8] Members of both chambers are elected by direct majority vote. Once elected, congressional members serve for a four-year period and may be re-elected without time limitations.[9] The Congress, in its ordinary legislative functions, convenes two legislative sessions per year. Each legislative session lasts for one hundred and fifty days but can be extended up to sixty additional days. The first session begins on August 16, and the second begins on February 27.[10]

In addition to its powers to enact laws, the Congress of the Republic is empowered to increase or reduce regular or exceptional courts, to approve or reject international treaties and conventions concluded by the Executive Power and to review and approve the national budget submitted by the Executive Power.[11]

The National Congress has constitutional authority to legislate over any matter. Any senator or deputy may introduce legislation in either house. The President of the Republic, the Supreme Court of Justice in judicial matters, the Central Electoral Board in electoral matters, also may introduce legislation in either house of the Congress.[12] The 2010 Constitutional reform introduced the popular legislative initiative by which no less than 2% of the citizens registered in the electoral registry may introduce a bill before the National Congress.[13]

Once a bill is approved, it is sent to the President of the Republic for promulgation and subsequent publication in the form established by law.[14] Article 1 of the Civil Code states that approved bills shall be published in the Official Gazette (Gaceta Oficial) and alternatively they also can be published in one or more major newspapers, in which case the publication must expressively indicate that it is an official publication and it will have the same legal effect as the Official Gazette.[15] The Constitution outlines three types of acts that can be enacted by Congress: laws relating to the public order, the police and security of the nation; organic laws regulating the structure and organization of the public functions; and ordinary laws.[16]

The Senate is composed of 32 members, one Senator elected by each province and one for the National District. The Senate is empowered to select the members of the Central Electoral Board, the members of the Chamber of Accounts and the Ombudsman.[17] The Chamber of Deputies is composed of 190 Deputies elected by territorial circumscription in representation of the National District and the provinces, distributed in proportion to the population density. An exclusive function of the Chamber of Deputies is to refer impeachments of public officials before the Senate for the commission of grave faults while in exercise of their functions.[18]

Executive Power

Executive power is exercised by the President of the Republic who is elected with the Vice-President by direct vote for a four-year term. The President and Vice-President can be re-elected for the immediately following constitutional period.[19] The President of the Republic is the head of state, head of the Public Administrative agencies, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces and the National Police. He appoints the cabinet of ministers who assist him in his function.[20]

The President promulgates and publishes laws and resolutions passed by Congress, and he has the constitutional authority under Article 128(1)(b) of the Constitution, to issue decrees, regulations and instructions which are binding. The President also may enter into treaties with foreign nations and international conventions, but unless it is ratified by both houses of the Congress, the treaty will not be binding on the Dominican Republic.[21]

The various ministries and decentralized government offices, such as the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic, may issue resolutions and norms which are also binding.

Judicial Power

Judicial Power is exercised by the Supreme Court of Justice as well as by other courts created by the Constitution or by enacted laws.[22]

The highest judicial body is the Supreme Court of Justice, followed by the Courts of Appeal, the Courts of First Instance, and the Justices of the Peace. The system of justice also includes a Constitutional Court, the Public Ministry, and the Public Defender’s Office. The Judicial Bulletin (Boletín Judicial) is the official reporter of the Supreme Court of Justice decisions.

Historical Evolution

The legal system reflects the influence of successive occupancy of the island by foreign nations.

During the 22 years of Haitian occupation (1822 – 1844), the French legal system was imposed on the island, based on the Napoleonic Codes of 1804 -1810. After declaring its independence in 1844, under the Organic Law of the Tribunals of 1845 (Ley Orgánica de los Tribunales) a mixed judicial system was applied by the Dominican Republic. The French Codes of 1815 were adopted as the codes of the Dominican Republic, in their original language, with the modifications set forth by the Constitution, and the Spanish system of courts established during the colonial era were maintained.[23]

The French codification remained in effect until Spanish translations of the five French codes were promulgated in 1884. These translated codes, with little adjustment to local needs, remained as the law of the Dominican Republic for more than 150 years.[24] The principal codes – the Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure, the Civil Code, the Code of Civil Procedure, and the Commercial Code – were published in the Judicial Bulletin (Boletín Judicial) of the Supreme Court of Justice instead of the Official Gazette.

During the United States’ military intervention (1916 – 1924), the legal system was disrupted, and the U.S. Military Government ruled the country by martial law through Executive Orders (Ordenes Ejecutivas). Eight hundred and twenty-one (821) Executive Orders were enacted, touching on virtually all aspects of governmental administration. One of the most notable executive orders enacted was Executive Order No. 511, July 1, 1920, on Real Property by which the Torrens system of land registration was adopted as the land titling system of the Dominican Republic. It was modeled after the Philippines and Australian Torrens system and remains in effect today.[25]

Following the United States occupation, during the Trujillo Era (1930 -1961), several important laws were enacted: Labor Code (1951); Health Code (1956); the law that established the Courts for Minors (Law (Ley) No. 603 – 41 of 1941) along with family laws on child support, divorce and adoption; the Administrative Contentious Jurisdiction (Law No. 1494 – 47 of 1947) was established; the Registry of Property Rights Act (Law No. 1542, October 11, 1947, de Registro de Tierras) which derogated the Executive Order No. 511 of 1920; the law establishing the procedure for Cassation (Law No. 3726-53); and legislation on the Civil Rights of Women (Ley No. 390-40 sobre los Derechos Civiles de la Mujer). The Official Gazette and the Judicial Bulletin were published without interruption during these years, and for more than 30 years, the basic laws underwent only minor modifications, even though the Dominican Republic was growing threefold in size.

From 1991 to 2005, major legislative and judicial reforms started taking place to adapt the legal and economic framework of the country to a global and regional integration. Legislative reforms included updating laws related to the development of critical economic and social sectors focusing on finance, investment and trade, environment, tax and customs, labor and social security.

ADR mechanisms were introduced as an alternative method of settling disputes; the National Judiciary School (Escuela Nacional de la Judicatura), the National School for Public Prosecutors (Escuela Nacional del Ministerio Público), and the Public Defender’s Office (Oficina Nacional de la Defensa Pública) were established.

The Court System

Justice is administered by the Supreme Court of Justice and the other tribunals established by the Constitution or the laws.[26] The court system consists of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court of Justice, the Courts of Appeal, Courts of First Instance, and the Justices of the Peace. At the time, the Torrens title system for the registry of property rights was adopted in the Dominican Republic (Executive Order No. 511, 1920), a separate system of Land Courts as a specialized jurisdiction within the legal framework was established. Other subject matter jurisdiction courts include the Courts for Children and Adolescents (Cortes de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes), Labor Courts, and the Administrative and Tax Court (Tribunal Superior Administrativo).[27]

The Council of the Judicial Power (Consejo del Poder Judicial) is the main administrative body of the Judiciary. It designates the lower court judges and administrative personnel and exercises the highest disciplinary authority over all members of the Judiciary.

Constitutional Court

The Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) was established in 2010 to defend the fundamental rights and protect the constitutional order.[28] Its decisions are final and irrevocable and constitute binding precedent for all public authorities and all State agencies. They hear direct actions of unconstitutionality of laws, decrees, regulations, resolutions and ordinances, the preventive control of international treaties before their ratification by Congress and hear jurisdictional disputes between the public authorities. Thirteen judges sit at the Constitutional Court elected by the National Council of Magistrates (Consejo Nacional de la Magistratura), for a nine-year term and cannot be reelected.

Supreme Court of Justice

The Supreme Court of Justice (Suprema Corte de Justicia)[29] is composed of no less than 16 Magistrates elected by the National Council of the Judiciary pursuant to Law No. 138-11 of June 21, 2011, for a seven-year term and can be reelected for another term.[30] The Council selects one Magistrate to serve as President of the Court, and designates a first and second substitute to replace the President of the Supreme Court of Justice in case of absence or incapacity.

The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over any cause of action brought against the President, the Vice President, or other public officials, as designated in the Constitution. It hears appeals on Cassation and ordinary appeals from matters arising in the Courts of Appeals.[31]

The official reporter of Supreme Court of Justice decisions is the Judicial Bulletin (Boletín Judicial) which is also published electronically and accessible since 1910 on the homepage of the Judiciary under Servicios / Consultas / Boletín Judicial.

Courts of Appeal

The Court of Appeals functions primarily as an appellate body and it hears appeals from decisions issued by Courts of First Instance.[32] Five judges sit on each of the courts, with the exception of the Courts of Appeals for Minors and the Contentious Administrative Court where a minimum of three judges sit.[33] The Courts of Appeals have original jurisdiction in charges against lower court judges, prosecuting attorneys, and provincial governors and mayors. Decisions of the High Administrative Tribunal (Tribunal Superior Administrativo) are accessible electronically since 1996 on the homepage of the Judicial Power, at Consulta TSA.

Courts of First Instance

The Courts of First Instance are divided into: (a) Courts of First Instance with complete plenitude of jurisdiction, which hear all matters; (b) ordinary courts of first instance, which are divided into chambers as required to hear criminal, and civil and commercial matters; and (c) specialized courts of first instance.[34] Specialized courts of first instance include, Courts for Minors and Adolescents; Labor Courts; Land Courts of Original Jurisdiction; Judges for the Execution of Sentences (Jueces de Ejecución de la Pena); Courts of Control of Adolescent Sanctions (Tribunal de Control de Sanciones de la Persona Adolescente), and the Courts of Instruction (Juzgados de Instrucción), which have jurisdiction to resolve issues on criminal matters during preparatory proceedings, conduct preliminary hearings, and deliver judgment under the rules of summary proceedings.

Justices of the Peace

The Justices of the Peace are courts authorized to hear small claim cases.[35] They predominantly hear police and labor matters, as well as any other matter, which Congress, through legislation, empowers them to hear. There is at least one small court in each municipality. Only one judge presides on each Court of Peace. There are also special traffic courts competent to hear traffic violations.

Specialized Courts

Courts for Minors and Adolescents

The Court for Minors and Adolescents (Tribunal de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes) addresses both civil and criminal matters, particularly issues pertaining to paternity, guardianship, visitation rights, alimony, and adoption.

Labor Courts

The Labor Courts (Cortes de Trabajo) were created by the Labor Code to resolve conflicts between workers and employers. There are fourteen (14) Labor Courts of First Instance and six (6) Labor Courts of Appeal.

Land Courts

The Land Courts are concerned exclusively with procedures relating to clearing title to property, registering real property, and resolving other questions relating to real property. The Land Courts include four land courts of appeal (Tribunales Superiores de Tierras), which hear in second instance all appeals from decisions of the courts of original jurisdictions; and twenty-five (25) Land Courts of Original Jurisdictional (Tribunales de Tierras de Jurisdicción Original), they hear in first instance all actions on real property and territorial boundaries.

Contentious Administrative and Tax Court

Higher administrative courts (Tribunales Superiores Administrativos), and contentious administrative courts of first instance integrate the Administrative Contentious jurisdiction.[36] These courts have jurisdiction over disputes filed against decisions, actions and provisions of the central government including administrative, tax, financial and municipal issues. The courts hear and determine in first instance or on appeal the contentious administrative actions that arise from conflicts between the public administration and its officers and civilian employees.[37] The decisions of the High Administrative Court have been reported since 1996 on the homepage of the Judicial Power, see under Servicios – Consultas – TSA.

Public Ministry

The Public Ministry (Procuraduría General de la República) is responsible for directing the investigation of criminal acts, assisting with the prosecution of criminal actions, and protecting the interests of the State. It is functionally independent of the Courts by means of Law No. 133-11 Organic Statute of the Public Ministry.

The Public Ministry is composed by: The Attorney General of the Republic, which represents the State before the Supreme Court of Justice; General Prosecutors before the Courts of Appeal; the Public Prosecutors who appear before the Courts of First Instance; and Public Attorneys who appear before the ordinary Justices of the Peace Courts. The Superior Council of the Public Ministry (Consejo Superior del Ministerio Público) is the main governing body overseeing the operation and functioning of the Public Ministry and exercises disciplinary control over its functionaries and employees.

For main legislation enacted which governs the Public Ministry see under Transparencia – Base Legal de la Institución.

Primary Sources of Law

Constitution

The first Constitution of the Dominican Republic was promulgated in 1844, immediately after the nation achieved independence from Haiti. The 1966 Constitution, enacted at the conclusion of the civil war of April 1965, provided the necessary legal basis to ensure democratic stabilization of the country.

On January 26, 2010, the Dominican Republic promulgated a new Constitution (Official Gazette No. 10561). Some of the most significant measures introduced by the constitutional reforms included: creation of a Constitutional Court and a Judiciary Council to oversee the performance of the courts; the inclusion of mechanisms of direct democratic participation such as the referendum and plebiscite,[38] and popular legislative initiative.[39] This constitutional reform modified once again the reelection possibilities of the President, the president cannot be re-elected for the following constitutional period;[40] the right to life is inviolable from conception until death banning abortion under all circumstances.[41] The 2010 Constitution also bans citizenship for children of illegal immigrants;[42] and changes the designation of Secretariats of States by Ministries and municipal trustees (syndics) by mayors.[43]

On June 13, 2015, Article 124 of the Constitution 0f 2010 was amended to allow once more the reelection of the President for a following consecutive term.

Codes

Civil Code

The dominant legal basis of the Dominican Republic is the Civil Code (Código Civil), enacted by the Decree of April 16, 1884. With amendments, this original code is largely still in effect today.

  • The Civil Code updated with amendments through Law No. 189-01. Find further amendments of the Code using the database of the Consultoria Juridica del Poder Ejecutivo, under Consulta/Leyes y Decretos. This is the most comprehensive resource of the official gazette of the Dominican Republic. Users may experience server connection problems. As an alternative, but not as comprehensive, use the Virtual Library of the National School of Magistrates (Escuela Nacional de la Magistratura (ENJ)).
  • Current text in force on vLexJustis.

Code of Civil Procedure

The Code of Civil Procedure (Código de Procedimiento Civil) was enacted by the Decree of April 16, 1884. With amendments, this Code is still largely in effect today.

Commercial Code

The Commercial Code (Código de Comercio) was enacted by the Decree of June 5, 1884. With modifications, this Code is still largely in effect today.

  • The Commercial Code updated through Law No. 479-08 of December 11, 2008, General Law of Corporations and Individual Limited Liability Companies (Ley General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada).
  • Current text in force available on vLexJustis.

Criminal Code

The Criminal Code (Código Penal) enacted by the Decree-Law No. 2274 of August 20, 1884, includes the amendments introduced by Law No. 24 – 97, on domestic violence; Law 46-99 increasing the number and types of penalties in criminal matters, and Law No. 36-00 expanding the jurisdiction of the Justices of the Peace.

In 2014, immediately after the Dominican Congress enacted a new criminal code, , the Constitutional Court declared this law unconstitutional (TC/0599/17). The 1884 code is still in force.

  • The Penal Code. This text of the Criminal Code also includes in extensor Act No. 12-07, January 5, 2007, raising the amount for fines and penalties for different offenses.
  • Current text in force available on vLexJustis.

Code of Criminal Procedure

The Code of Criminal Procedure (Código Procesal Penal) was promulgated on July 19, 2002, by Law No. 76-02, effective on September 27, 2004 (Gaceta Oficial, September 27, 2002). It abrogates and replaces the 1894 Criminal Procedure Code.

  • The Code of Criminal Procedure of the Dominican Republic July 19, 2002, as amended by Law No. 12-07, January 5, 2007 (GO No. 10409). On February 10, 2015, the code of criminal procedure was further modified by Law No. 10-15 (Gaceta Oficial No. 10791).
  • Current text in force available on vLexJustis.

Tax Code

The Tax Code (Codigo Tributario) was enacted by Law No. 11-92, on May 16, 1992. The code covers matters regarding income tax, tax on the transfer of industrialized goods and services (ITBIS), and selective consumption tax. The Internal Revenue Office (Dirección General de Impuestos Internos) is the government office responsible for the collection of taxes and the enforcement of fiscal laws.

  • The Tax Code of the Dominican Republic May 16, 1992, as amended by Law No. 155-17, June 1 2017, on Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism.
  • Current text in force available on vLexJustis.
  • For recent amendments to the Code, and new enacted laws see under Impuestos Internos / Legislación – Leyes Tributarias.

Labor Code

The Labor Code (Código de Trabajo) was enacted by Law No. 16-92, May 29, 1992. It abrogates the 1951 Labor Code and subsequent modifications. The Ministry of Labor (Ministerio de Trabajo) is the state agency responsible for overseeing the compliance of these regulations.

  • The Labor Code of the Dominican Republic, compiled with implementing regulation, decrees, resolutions and international agreements. Consolidated text with amendments through 2012.

Code for the Protection of Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents

The Code for the Protection of Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents (Código para el Sistema de Protección y los Derechos Fundamentales de Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes) enacted by Law No. 136-03 of August 7, 2003. This code is a comprehensive law governing matters relating to the protection of children and adolescents, their rights, and obligations. The code was drafted based on the principles embedded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Monetary and Financial Code

The Monetary and Financial Code (Código Monetario y Financiero) was enacted as Law No. 183-02, of November 21, 2002, Ley Monetaria y Financiera. This code outlines the principles of the monetary and financial system of the Dominican Republic, consolidates in a single statute all monetary, financial, and banking norms, and modernizes the legal framework previously established by the financial reform of 1947. The 2002 Law abrogates the General Banking Law No. 708-65, of April 14, 1965 (Ley General de Bancos) and the Organic Law of the Central Bank No. 6,142 of December 29, 1962 (Ley Orgánica del Banco Central).

The banking system is also subject to the provisions contained in the resolutions dictated by the Monetary Board (Junta Monetaria). Major pieces of legislation regulating the banking and financial system of the Dominican Republic are found on the webpages of the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic and the Superintendence of Banking under Normativas.

Other Laws

The following section highlights relevant laws and regulations for selected subject areas.

Corporations: The main laws and regulations governing corporations are the Commercial Code updated through Law No. 479-08 of December 11, 2008, General Law of Corporations and Individual Limited Liability Companies (Ley General de las Sociedades Comerciales y Empresas Individuales de Responsabilidad Limitada).

Law No. 479-08, Dec 11, 2008, on Corporations and Limited Liability Companies, subsequently amended by Law No. 31-11, Law No. 178-09 and Law No. 68-19.

E-Commerce: Law No. 126-02, concerning Electronic Commerce, Documents and Digital Signatures (Ley de Comercio Electrónico, Documentos y Firmas Digitales). This law regulates data messages, digital documents, and digital signatures issued by the certified entities.[44] English and Spanish texts of the law and other related regulations are accessible under the section Telecommunications on the webpage of the Dominican Institute for Telecommunications (INDOTEL).

Energy: General Law on Electricity, No. 125-01, 26 of July 2001, as amended by Law No. 186-07, August 06, 2007 (Ley General de Electricidad), and its implementing Regulations. The government agencies responsible for implementation of the law are the National Energy Commission (CNE), the Superintendence of Electricity (SIE).

Environment & Natural Resources: The Environmental and Natural Resources Law, Law No. 64-00 (Ley General de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales), was promulgated on August 18, 2000. With Law No. 202-04, on Protected Areas (Ley Sectorial de Áreas Protegidas), these two omnibus legislations are the most significant environmental laws of the Dominican Republic. They regulate the pollution of soil, water, and air; dangerous substances; municipal and housing wastes, sound pollution; and the concession of rights for the use of natural resources and delimits regions within the country to be protected.

The Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources (Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales) is the State agency responsible for the protection of the environment and development of natural resources, see under Transparencia – Base Legal for laws, resolutions and decrees regulating this sector.

Family Law: Major pieces of legislation on family matters are:

  • Law No. 136-03 Code for the Protection of the Fundamental Rights of Children and Adolescents (Código para el Sistema de Protección de los Derechos de los Niños, Niñas y Adolescentes).
  • Law No. 1306-Bis of 1937, Divorce Law. English.
  • Law No. 24-97 on Domestic Violence.

The National Council for Childhood and Adolescence (CONANI) is the administrative body of the National System for the Protection of the Rights of Children and Adolescents. For other related family laws including adoption and domestic violence, see under Sobre Nosotros – Marco legal. See as well Guzmán Ariza, Attorneys at Law homepage, the section on Publications, by Practice Areas, Family Law and Individual Legal Services, an Overview of International Adoptions in the Dominican Republic, and Adoption Statute, for an English translation of Law. No. 136-03, Title V, Filiation through Adoption.

Foreign Investment: The Foreign Investment Law (Ley de inversión extranjera) was enacted by Ley No. 16-95, November 20, 1995, and its implementing regulation, Reglamento de Aplicación No. 214-04, enacted on March 11, 2004. This legislation marked the beginning of significant reforms eliminating restrictions to foreign investment and promoting the flow of capital into the country.

The State agency responsible for promoting a favorable investment climate in the Dominican Republic is the Center for Export and Investment (Prodominicana).

Intellectual Property: The Law No. 20-00 on Industrial Property (Ley sobre Propiedad Industrial), enacted on May 8, 2000, derogates and replaces Law No.4994 of April 26, 1911 on Patents and Inventions, and Law No.1450 of December 30, 1937, on Trademarks and Trade Names. It conforms to the TRIPS and other international agreements. The state agency charged with reviewing and granting patents and registering industrial property in the Dominican Republic is the National Industrial Property Office (Oficina Nacional de la Propiedad Industrial (ONAPI)

The Copyright Law No. 65-00 (de Derechos de Autor) protects ownership rights over scientific, artistic, or literary works. It replaces Law No. 32-86 on Intellectual Property Rights. Decree No. 362-01, enacted on March 14, 2001, contains the applicable regulations. The National Copyrights Office (Oficina Nacional de Derechos de Autor (ONDA) is the state agency charged with granting and registering copyrights.

For intellectual property laws and regulations of the Dominican Republic see the Dominican Association of Intellectual Property (Asociación Dominicana de Propiedad Intelectual (ADOPI) under Centro de Documentación – Constitución, Tratados Inernacionales, Leyes, Decretos.

Public Health: The General Health Law No. 42-01 (Ley General de Salud), was promulgated on March 8, 2001. This Law restructured the legal and institutional framework of the public health sector in the Dominican Republic. The Ministry of Public Health (Ministerio de Salud Pública (MSP) is the state agency in charge of health services and is responsible for overseeing compliance with the Law.

Real Property: The prevalent registration system in the Dominican Republic is the Torrens system of real property registration, established by Executive Order No. 511, July 1, 1920. The main pieces of legislation regulating the land jurisdiction are, Law No. 108-05 on Registry of Real Property (Ley de Registro Immobiliario) as amendment by Law No. 51-07. This law abrogated Law No. 1542 of 1947 and substantially modified Law No. 5038 on Condominiums, and Law No. 344 on Property Expropriations. The 2005 reform entailed a profound restructuring of institutions and procedures for adjudicating and registering property rights in the Dominican Republic within the adopted titling system, the Torrens System. The law is complemented by three different regulations governing the three main institutions of the system: surveyors, judges, and title registrars, as follow.

  • General Regulations for Title Registry, Resolution No. 008-2020 of July 07, 2020 Reglamento del Registro Inmmobiliario).
  • General Regulations for Cadastral Measurement (Reglamento General de Mensuras Catastrales) Resolution No. 2454-2018, July 19, 2018.
  • Regulations of the Higher Land Courts and Land Courts of Original Jurisdiction modified by Resolution No. 1737-2007, July 12, 2007 (Reglamento de los Tribunales Superiores de Tierras y de Jurisdicción Original de la Jurisdicción Inmobiliaria).

Other property laws and regulations are found on the homepage of the Registro Inmobiliario (JI) under Transparencia, Marco Legal – Leyes, Reglamentos and Resoluciones.

Securities: Law No. 249-17 on Securities Market (Ley del Mercado de Valores), and Decree 664-12, [Implementing Regulations to the Securities Market Act, (Reglamento de Aplicación de la Ley de Mercado de Valores), found on the webpage of the Stock Exchange of the Dominican Republica (Bolsa de Valores de la República Dominicana), and also on the Superintendence of the Securities Market (SIMV).

Social Security: Social Security Law enacted by Law No. 87-01, May 9, 2001 as amended by Law No. 397-19. It completely modified the social security system of the Dominican Republic. This new law provides for mandatory and universal coverage for all Dominican nationals and foreigners residing in the Dominican Republic against risks of aging, disability, unemployment, sickness, maternity and childbirth, and labor risks. There are multiple government agencies regulating and supervising the social security system of the Dominican Republic providing access to laws, ordinances, minutes and resolutions some of which are: the National Social Security Council (Consejo Nacional de Seguridad Social (CNSS); Dominican Institute for the Protection of Occupational Hazards (Instituto Dominicano de Prevención y Protección de Riesgos Laborales (IDOPPRIL), and the Superintendence of Pensions (Superintendencia de Pensiones (SIPEN).

The Official Gazette

The Official Gazette (Gaceta Oficial) is the official source of law reporting, and reports all statutes and laws passed by Congress, as well as decrees and regulations enacted by the Executive Branch.[45] Published by the Consultoría Jurídica del Poder Ejecutivo, is accessible electronically, since 1844 on the Consultoría Jurídica del Poder Ejecutivo homepage under Consultas, Leyes, Decretos.

Case Law Reporters

The Judicial Bulletin (Boletín Judicial de la Suprema Corte de Justicia) is the official source of reported court opinions.[46] This Bulletin is published by the Supreme Court of Justice since 1910. Accessible as well on the Virtual Library of the National School of Magistrates (Escuela Nacional de la Magistratura (ENJ)).

Treaties and International Agreements

International treaties for which the Dominican Republic is a signatory are regulated by Article 26(2) of the Constitution. Furthermore Article 74(3) of the Constitution provides that treaties and international conventions on human rights, signed and ratified by the Dominican Republic, have constitutional status and are of direct and immediate application by the courts and government.

International treaties and bilateral investment treaties in effect in the Dominican Republic can be found at the following sites:

Law Journals

Listed below is a selected list of law journals:

  • Gaceta Judicial, año 1, no. 1 (Febrero 1997) – Santo Domingo: Editora Judicial y Editorial AA, 1997 – currently only in electronic format.
  • Anuario Dominicano de Propiedad Intelectual. – Santo Domingo, R.D.: FUNGLODE, Issue No. 1, 2014-. Indexed in Dialnet
  • Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas, v. 1, No. 1- 2013- Santo Domingo, R.D.: Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra, PUCCM, 2013. (ISSN 0379-8526). Selected issues available open access.
  • Revista Dominicana de Ciencias Jurídicas, v. 1 july-dec 2012 – Santo Domingo R.D. Last issue published No.4 Jan-Dec, 2016.

LexLata is comprehensive commercial database of laws, decrees, resolutions, codes, case law, digest of cases and journal articles from Gaceta Judicial.

Most of the government offices responsible for the regulation and supervision of specific social or economic sectors provide access on their homepages to the legal framework of the sector. The websites make accessible the full text of laws, decrees, resolutions, regulations and often court decisions, international treaties, agreements, and conventions signed by the Dominican Republic as well as the regulations set in force by the office. Law firms as well are publishing on their webpages the full text of recently enacted laws on areas related to foreign investment, commercial law and securities, and providing analysis of the changes introduced by these laws.

The following is a selected list of websites providing access to relevant primary legal resources:

  • Observatorio Judicial Dominicano (OJD), Normativa, access laws.
  • Colección de Leyes OMG, allows searching by key terms and subject matter.
  • Poder Judicial de la Republica Dominicana, Consulta de Sentencias , access decisions of the Supreme Court of Justice, and the Judicial Bulletin (Boletin Judicial).
  • Consultoría Jurídica del Poder Ejecutivo (CJPE) Consultas, Leyes y Decreto.
  • Escuela Nacional de la Judicatura (ENJ) Centro de Documentación – Biblioteca Virtual, Access to laws and case law.

Often law firms provide analysis and commentaries to new enacted laws. Listed below are a selection of law firms.

  • Pellerano & Herrera publishes legal guides and executive summaries on topics such as foreign investment, intellectual property, tourism, and telecommunications in English and Spanish.
  • Headrick, Rizik, Álvarez & Fernández, publishes books, articles and newsletters on legal reforms and the legal system of the Dominican Republic, in English and Spanish. Open the menu on the right-hand side. See under Articles and Books.
  • Arthur & Castillo, see under Publications / Legal Guide, in Spanish and English providing commentaries and analysis of many legal topics including sales of goods, foreign investment, and environmental law, among other.
  • Guzmán Ariza see under Publications / Articles and Colección de Leyes for laws. The law firm publishes comprehensive analysis of many different legal topics by area of practice. Articles are written in English and Spanish.

[1] Dominican Republic Population 2022 (Live), World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com/countries/dominican-republic-population (last visited July 7, 2022).

[2] Wenceslao Vega B., Los Documentos Basicos de la Historia Dominicana 138 (1994).

[3] Salvador V. Delgado, The Legal System of the Dominican Republic, in 7 Modern Legal Systems Cyclopedia, 140.8 (Kenneth Robert Redden ed., 1984). This work is a valuable source, in English, on the evolution of the legal system of the Dominican Republic until 1985.

[4] Wenceslao Vega B., supra note 2, at 110.

[5] Salvador V. Delgado, supra note 3, at 140.11.

[6] Constitución de la Republica Dominicana [Const.] Art. 4.

[7] Id. Art. 7.

[8] Id. Art. 76.

[9] Id., Art. 78.

[10] Id. Art. 89.

[11] Id. Art. 93.

[12] Id. Art. 96.

[13] Id. Art. 97.

[14] Id. Art. 101 and Art. 109.

[15] Código Civil [Cód.Civ.] Art. 1. (Dom. Rep.).

[16] Const. Art. 111 – 113.

[17] Id. Art. 78, 80.

[18] Id. Art. 81, 83.

[19] Id. Art. 124.

[20] Id. Art. 128(2).

[21] Id. Art. 128 (1)(d).

[22] Id. Art. 149.

[23] Wenceslao Vega & Américo Moreta Castillo, Historia del Poder Judicial Dominicano 196 (Suprema Corte de Justicia 2005), see also Wenceslao Vega B., Historia del Derecho Dominicano 298 (2004).

[24] Wenceslao Vega B., Historia del Derecho Dominicano, supra note 23, at 302.

[25] Id. at 351.

[26] Const. Art. 149.

[27] Law No. 13-07, Feb. 06, 2007 (Dom. Rep.).

[28] Id. Art. 184-189.

[29] Const. Art. 152-154.

[30] Law No. 138-11, June 21, 2011 (Ley Orgánica del Consejo Nacional de la Magistratura), Art. 26.

[31] Const. Art. 154.

[32] Id. Art. 157-159.

[33] Law No. 821, November 21, 1927, (Gaceta Oficial No. 3921), Ley de Organización Judicial, as amended, Art. 32.

[34] Const. Art. 160-161.

[35] Id. Art. 162-163.

[36] Id. Art. 164.

[37] Jody Granados, Evolución de la Justicia Contencioso-Administrativa en República Dominicana (2009), this article summarizes the historical evolution of the contentious administrative jurisdiction in the Dominican Republic.

[38] Const. Art. 203.

[39] Id. Art. 97.

[40] Id. Art. 124.

[41] Id. Art. 37.

[42] Id. Art. 18(3).

[43] Id. Art. 134, 201.

[44] Pellerano & Herrera, Doing Business in the Dominican Republic 63 (2018).

[45] Gaceta Oficial de la República Dominicana (Imprenta de García Hermanos 1858).

[46] Boletín Judicial de la Suprema Corte de Justicia 1 (Editorial del Caribe 1910).