Costa Rica

The following Justice Initiative projects are underway, in or relevant to, Costa Rica:

Freedom of Expression

Costa Rica: Defamation/Libel Law Reform
In May of 2004, the Justice Initiative submitted a brief as amicus curiae to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in the case of Herrera vs. Costa Rica. The case, which concerns a journalist convicted under Costa Rican criminal law for libeling a diplomat, carried important implications for free speech in the Americas. In August, the Court ruled that the conviction constituted a violation of Article 13 of the American Convention of Human Rights. In setting aside the conviction, the Court held that public officials and others who “enter the sphere of public discourse” must tolerate a greater “margin of openness to a broad debate on matters of public interest.” The judgment marked the first time that the Inter-American Court clearly embraced this fundamental principle of modern free speech law. Amicus Brief