Overview
- El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly, which voted Thursday, approved the reform with 58 of 60 votes to allow life terms for people under 18 convicted of homicide, rape or terrorism, with the law taking effect eight days after its publication in the Official Gazette.
- The overhaul removes the special juvenile procedure for these offenses and gives Criminal Courts sole authority to try both adults and minors in cases that can carry life imprisonment.
- Judges must review long sentences at set intervals, with minors eligible for controlled release after 25 years and adults reviewed after 30 to 40 years, replacing the prior 60‑year maximum penalty.
- Lawmakers also extended the state of exception for 30 days, a security measure that allows arrests without a warrant, with officials citing more than 91,000 detentions since 2022 and about 8,000 later released.
- Supporters led by Assembly president Ernesto Castro say the change protects families from repeat offenders, while opposition figures and Human Rights Watch argue it breaks with juvenile justice standards that focus on rehabilitation.