Development of Comparative Law in Latin America

Abstract

Latin American law has largely been neglected by mainstream comparative law. The presumed ‘familiarity’ and the consequent perception of Latin American law as lacking sufficient originality, or rather exoticism, may explain why comparative works have often dedicated considerably more attention to other jurisdictions. The topics of both Latin American law as the object of comparative law, and comparative law as a subject in Latin American jurisprudence, have remained in the shade with the result that they have become battlegrounds for influence and domination. This article provides a rough sketch of the historical development of comparative law in Latin America and its significance for, and impact on, the legal systems of the Latin American countries today.