Between the excuse and justification. Notes on LatinAmerican comparative legislation on legal pluralism and criminal law

Abstract

The paper deals with the way in which Latin American legislations have addressed issues related to indigenous people in the area of criminal law, focusing on legal and doctrinal solutions regarding the criminal responsibility of indigenous individuals judged against Western criminal law. It also describes, to the extent that it is related to the substantive issues being addressed, the status of the right of access to justice for indigenous people in Latin America, which is formalised in the legal systems of some States. It explores possible defences for breaches of criminal law by indigenous people, such as insanity, the error of law, and error that is culturally conditioned, and concludes adopting a position to open up the discussion.