| Type of parliamentary body |
Specialized |
| Nature |
Permanent |
| Related to chambers |
Senado
|
| Date of creation |
1990 |
| Last renewal date |
|
| Mandate |
To study and keep the Senate informed of the situation in respect of the regulations and draft laws that the Senate submits to it for study and to consider, when the Senate so desires, the human rights situation, mainly in the national context. |
| Membership |
Composed of five Senators elected by the chamber, who remain in their posts for the entire period of the legislature, i.e., the four-year period beginning on 11 March of the year following a parliamentary election. |
| Working methods |
For the placement of legislative matters or other matters that it handles on its agenda, the President gives an account of the matters that have to his knowledge been submitted at the session following their reception; such matters must be placed first on the agenda of some of the sessions held by the Committee within 60 days of when they are reported, or sooner if they are urgent matters. The time limit may be extended by up to 30 days by the President of the Committee, if the Committee is so informed. Matters that do not have any legislative aspect are handled on a case-by-case basis, according to the specific nature of the question, normally involving hearings of government authorities, associations and bodies involved and the individuals who request to be heard by the Committee. Its sessions are not public, and its decisions are adopted by a majority of its members present, but they are usually taken by consensus. They are communicated by official letter to the authorities and individuals, and are followed up by the Committee's technical secretariat. The Senate has no investigative functions, and so does not carry out any field inquiries, only fact-finding visits. |
| Relations with other parliamentary bodies |
With the Senate, the Committee interacts through reports on drafts, which by regulation are of two types: the first approves the idea of adopting legislation on the subject that is under consideration; the second studies and addresses queries of Senators and proposes the text of the draft. With other committees, it submits background information along with its report, if so requested by the Senate. It also has functional relations for an exchange of information with the Human Rights Committees of the Chamber of Deputies and for procurement and studies, with the Library of the National Congress.
|
| Relations with external bodies |
The Committee sends its decisions and requests to the authorities dealing with the matter in question, normally to the Minister of the Interior. It also sends them to NGOs to request background information or to respond to requests that have been submitted to it. |
| Subjects dealt with |
In recent times, the Committee has studied the following legal initiatives: the draft law to amend Act No. 19.123 on reparation for family members of political detainees who disappeared or were executed between 11 September 1973 and 11 March 1990; the draft law authorizing the elimination of police records of persons sentenced by military tribunals for acts that occurred in the same time frame, for cases of specially listed offences; and the draft law granting benefits to people who provide useful information on individuals who took part in crimes related to disappeared and executed political detainees. It has also studied a draft law that grants benefits to persons sentenced for violations of the criminal provisions on politically related violence. |
| CONTACT INFORMATION |
| Main address |
Senado de la República |
| Phone |
(+56 32) 50 43 58 |
| Fax |
(+56 32) 50 44 76 |
| E-mail |
agrisem@senado.cl |
| Website |
|
|
|
|
PRESIDING OFFICER(S)
|
| Name |
Mr. Enrique Zurita Camps |
| Notes |
... |
| Address (if different from above) |
Senado de la República |
| Phone |
(+56 32) 50 42 40 |
| Fax |
(+56 32) 23 15 35 |
| E-mail |
e.zurita@senado.cl |
| Website |
|
| Name |
Ms. Laura Soto González |
| Notes |
|
|
SECRETARY
|
