El Salvador Approves Life Sentences for Minors Aged 12+

El Salvador's government has enacted a constitutional reform allowing courts to impose life imprisonment on minors as young as 12 for serious offenses, including homicide, terrorism, assault and femicide. The law, published on April 15, 2026, and set to take effect on April 26, applies to both perpetrators and accomplices, marking a significant shift in the country's juvenile justice system.

The measure stems from a March 2026 amendment passed by the Legislative Assembly in a 59-1 vote. The assembly is dominated by President Nayib Bukele's Nuevas Ideas party, which championed the change to eliminate what officials described as legal loopholes granting impunity to young offenders. Prior to the reform, sentences for minors were capped at 60 years, with special procedures emphasizing rehabilitation for those aged 12 to 18. The new framework removes many of those protections but includes provisions for periodic sentence reviews and possible supervised release.

This policy emerges amid El Salvador's ongoing state of emergency, declared in March 2022 to combat gang violence. Initially intended for 30 days, the emergency has been extended dozens of times, suspending certain civil...