PERU[1]

General Information

Peru is a unitary state composed of twenty-five departamentos. According to the World Bank, Peru’s population was 27,100,000 in 2003,[2]. 2 with an annual growth rate of 1.5% since 1999. The total population is 50.3% men and 49.7% women, with the following age distribution: 34.5 % between the ages of 0 and 14; 35.7 % between 15 and 34; 16.3 % between 35 and 49; 8.8 % between 50 and 64; and 4.7% over the age of 65[3]. Peru has an average population density of 21 inhabitants per sq. km. The relative rate of urban dwellers rose from 70.1% to 72.2 % between 1993 and 2002, and the rural population decreased from 29.9 % to 27.8 % over the same period[4]. The illiteracy rate dropped to 10.1 % of adults over the age of fifteen in 2001. Average life expectancy at birth is 69.8 years [5]. In 2001, 54.8% of Peru’s population lived in poverty and 24.4 % in extreme poverty. GDP growth decelerated from 4.9% in 2002 to 4.0% in 2003 [6]. Per capita income in the latter year was US$2,150[7].

Judicial System Highlights

• The justice system budget has fluctuated in recent years. In 2001 the entire system received 862,382,500 new soles (or US$253,641,911); in 2002, 954,940,521 new soles (or US$246,395,000); in 2003, 1,066,135,192 new soles (or US$272,840,148); and in 2004, 1,029,600,531 new soles (or US$304,610,054). This shows that the justice system budget increased between 2001 and 2003 and then was cut by 36,534,661 new soles (US$1,786,369) or 0.5% in 2004.[8]

• The 2004 justice system budget represented 2.33% of the total fiscal budget.

• Peru’s justice sector has 22,238 employees. Of these 12,161 work in the Judicial Branch, 5,008 in the National Penitentiary Institute, and 4,379 in the Public Prosecutor’s Office.

• The country has 6 judges per 100,000  inhabitants.

• In early 2005 the Peruvian State and the European Union signed an economic collaboration agreement for the reform of Peru’s justice administration that covers some of the proposals made by the Special Commission for the Comprehensive Reform of Justice Administration (CERIAJUS) in its Plan Integral de Reforma (Comprehensive Reform Plan). The agreement will be implemented over four years and represents a total investment of 12 million Euros, 10 million of which will be contributed by the European Union.

• On September 30, 2004, the Supreme Court created the commercial juzgados (single judge courts) and salas (collegiate courts). Each court will have seven judges who will complete a special intensive course delivered by the Judicial Academy.

• The Criminal Procedure Code enacted in June 2004 will come into force on February 1, 2006. The Public Prosecutor’s Office is now responsible for directing criminal investigations.