Fundamental Law of the State of Costa Rica

The Fundamental Law of the Free State of Costa Rica, sometimes called the Political Constitution of 1825, was issued on January 25, 1825 by the Constituent Congress of the State of Costa Rica and during a time the country was a formal member of the Federal Republic of Central America.

[1] Braulio Carrillo, who had been Head of State resented the inaction of the Federal Republic before the annexation of Bocas del Toro in 1836 by Colombia and who had emerged victorious during the 1835 Costa Rican civil war that pitted the cities of San Jose, Alajuela, Heredia and Cartago, was candidate for re-election against the federalist candidate Manuel Aguilar Chacón in the elections of 1837, Aguilar being a convinced supporter of the Federal Republic.

Aguilar wins, but Carrillo makes a coup with the help of the Army, taking power just before the Central American Federation dissolves itself.

It appointed the official name of Free State of Costa Rica and demanded that in order to be Head or Deputy Chief of State it would be required to be a Costa Rican by birth, a lay person, thirty years-old and owner of a property not less than one thousand pesos or an annual income of two hundred or be a professional of some science.

[5] The Legislative Branch was unicameral and by popular election, called Congress, among its powers apart from that of legislating, it includes being the guardian of the Constitution, decreeing loans, commute sentences and pardon, receive the resignations of the members of the Supreme Powers and fix the territorial limits.