Ley 2196 de 2022

This excerpt identifies Law 2196 of 2022, which sets out the Police Disciplinary Statute, and begins Book I, General Part, Title I on principles and governing rules.

Disciplinary proceedings must respect human dignity, due process, and fundamental rights.

The State is the holder of disciplinary authority, and police officials with disciplinary powers may handle disciplinable conduct, subject to the Procuraduría General de la Nación’s preferential disciplinary power.

This article says the disciplinary rule applies to uniformed National Police personnel when the disciplinary statute is violated or fundamental rights are breached.

Police discipline is defined as the set of constitutional, legal, and regulatory rules that all uniformed personnel must follow.

Disciplinary action is autonomous and independent from any other action that may arise from the same fault.

Los destinatarios de esta ley deben ser investigados y juzgados por un funcionario competente e imparcial, con atribuciones disciplinarias previamente establecidas.

The law says its addressees can only be investigated and disciplinarily sanctioned for conduct that is defined as an offence in the law in force when the conduct occurred.

A person accused of a disciplinary fault is presumed innocent until responsibility is declared in a final judgment.

In a disciplinary proceeding, any reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of the person being disciplined.

In disciplinary matters, the more favorable law applies over a restrictive one, even if the favorable law is later enacted.

El sujeto disciplinable tiene derecho, durante toda la actuación, a conocer las diligencias, controvertirlas, pedir pruebas y usar medios electrónicos.

A disciplined subject’s conduct is illicit if it substantially affects the functional duty without any justification.

En la actuación disciplinaria, el investigado tiene derecho a defensa material o técnica.

Evidence obtained by violating fundamental rights and guarantees is void and must be excluded from the proceeding.

El funcionario con atribuciones disciplinarias debe impulsar de oficio la actuación disciplinaria y cumplir estrictamente los términos legales.

A disciplined person cannot be found responsible for facts or charges that are not stated in the hearing summons and charge formulation order (or its equivalent), although variation remains possible.

Interlocutory orders and judgments in the disciplinary process must be properly reasoned.

In disciplinary matters, objective liability is not allowed, and misconduct is sanctionable only when committed intentionally or through negligence.

A disciplinary sanction must be proportional and reasonable, and must match the classification and degree of the fault under this law.

If a disciplinary matter has already been finally decided by a competent authority, it cannot be investigated or judged again for the same facts, even if labeled differently.

Court proceedings should be free for participants, except for the cost of copies requested by procedural parties.

This article states the purposes of the disciplinary process.

Disciplinary officials must treat the people covered by the law equally and without discrimination.

La sanción disciplinaria busca prevenir y corregir para hacer efectivos los principios aplicables al ejercicio de la función pública de la Policía Nacional.

Si hay apelante único, la autoridad disciplinaria competente no puede agravar la sanción impuesta.

Las autoridades disciplinarias deben investigar con el mismo rigor tanto los hechos que apoyen una falta disciplinaria o la responsabilidad del investigado como los que la nieguen o lo eximan.

This article says disciplinary-law interpretation must follow the guiding principles in this law and the Constitution, and when something is not covered, other listed legal sources apply in a fixed order if compatible with the disciplinary process.

La norma dice que a los destinatarios de esta ley se les aplican las faltas y sanciones de este estatuto disciplinario, y de forma subsidiaria las faltas aplicables a otros servidores públicos cuando proceda.

This article says the law applies to its recipients when they commit a disciplinary misconduct, whether inside or outside the national territory.

This article identifies who is covered by the law, including uniformed police personnel, military-service personnel in the National Police, certain military police justice personnel, and specified police-school students.

An author includes a person who commits a disciplinary offence or who causes another person to commit it, even if this is discovered after leaving the office or function.

A subordinate must obey a related service order from a superior other than their commander and must immediately inform the commander.

Una orden es ilegítima si excede la competencia o viola gravemente la Constitución, la ley, derechos humanos, normas institucionales u órdenes superiores legítimas.

Defines the “conducto regular” procedure and allows it to be skipped in special cases or in disciplinary matters.

Police discipline is described as an essential condition for the police institution’s functioning, and its scope is limited by strict compliance with article 4.

All Police National members must help maintain personal conduct and police discipline.

The provision says police discipline and the personal behavior of uniformed personnel are handled through sanctioning and administrative means.

This article says the disciplinary procedure applies when an offence defined in the law occurs.

Los superiores jerárquicos pueden orientar el comportamiento personal de sus subordinados, siempre que no afecte sustancialmente el deber funcional y conforme a los parámetros que reglamente el Director General de la Policía Nacional.

La Policía Nacional debe iniciar acciones inmediatas when it receives a petition or complaint, set up the decision-making instance within 6 months, and ensure public access to the citizen guarantees system within 6 months.

People and public bodies may request information about National Police disciplinary management, but disclosure is limited by privacy protections. The Police Inspector General must also file an annual detailed report to Congress.

Los responsables policiales indicados deben hacer audiencias públicas semestrales sobre gestión disciplinaria, y el Director General debe crear un mecanismo de diálogo social con participación amplia.