From fragmented environmental protection to integral ecosystemic protection: analysis of constitutional judgment n.° 2026-14917 on the Tempisque River in light of the triple planetary crisis and OC-32/25

Authors

  • Mario Peña Chacón Investigador independiente Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15517/9eyrzw04

Keywords:

right to a healthy environment; ecosystemic protection; structural protection deficit; ecological Rule of Law; conventionality control; pro natura principle. Revista de Ciencias Jurídicas N°171 (330–360) SEPTIEMBRE-DICIEMBRE 2026

Abstract

Constitutional judgment No. 2026-14917, issued on April 28, 2026, by the Constitutional
Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice of Costa Rica, marks a milestone in the evolution of
Costa Rican and Latin American environmental law. In upholding an environmental amparo
proceeding related to sand extraction in the Tempisque River, the Chamber introduces first-
order doctrines: the constitutional insufficiency of fragmented protection based on sectoral
competence division as an autonomous ground for violation of the right to a healthy
environment; the recognition of the Tempisque River as an environmentally relevant
constitutional asset under a systemic approach; the first explicit formulation of the social,
democratic and ecological Rule of Law in Costa Rican constitutional jurisprudence; and the
reception of OC-32/25 and OC-23/17 as conventionality review standards for Article 50 of the
Constitution. This article analyzes these doctrines in light of the triple planetary crisis, the
greening of Latin American courts and inter-American human rights standards, while critically
assessing the practical effectiveness of the measures ordered

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Author Biography

  • Mario Peña Chacón, Investigador independiente

    En la preparación de este artículo utilicé herramientas digitales de apoyo exclusivamente para
    labores mecánicas de edición, tales como corrección tipográfica, verificación de formato
    conforme al estilo Chicago y control de uniformidad terminológica. Ninguna parte del análisis
    jurídico, la argumentación doctrinal, la interpretación jurisprudencial ni las conclusiones del
    presente trabajo fue producida mediante sistemas automáticos; todo el contenido sustantivo es
    de mi autoría y responsabilidad intelectual.
    2 Consultor, investigador, abogado litigante y profesor de derecho del Sistema de Estudios de
    Posgrado de la Universidad de Costa Rica y sus Maestrías en Derecho Ambiental y Derecho
    Público. Miembro de la Comisión de Derecho Ambiental de la Unión Internacional para la
    Conservación de la Naturaleza (UICN) y corresponsal nacional del Centré International de
    Droit Comparé de l'Environnement (CIDCE). Correo: mariopenachacon@gmail.com. ORCID:
    0009-0003-3976-688X

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Published

2026-09-27

Issue

Vol. 171 No. 171 (2026): Volumen 171-RCJ-2026

Section

Artículos

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How to Cite

From fragmented environmental protection to integral ecosystemic protection: analysis of constitutional judgment n.° 2026-14917 on the Tempisque River in light of the triple planetary crisis and OC-32/25. (2026). Revista De Ciencias Jurídicas, 171(171), 330-360. https://doi.org/10.15517/9eyrzw04