Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Chile)
The Ministry of Justice and Human Rights (Spanish: Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos) is the Ministry of State responsible for the law and judiciary. The current Minister of Justice and Human Rights is Jaime Gajardo, who has served since October 2024.[1]
History
The Ministry of Justice has been known by four different names.
- Ministerio de Justicia, Culto e Instrucción Pública (1837–1887)
- Ministerio de Justicia e Instrucción Pública (1887–1927)
- Ministerio de Justicia (1927–2016)
- Ministerio de Justicia y Derechos Humanos (2016–present)
Ministers of Justice of Chile
| Minister | Party | Tenure |
|---|---|---|
| Government of Domingo Santa María | ||
| José Eugenio Vergara | PL | 1881–1885 |
| Emilio Crisólogo Varas | PR | 1885–1886 |
| Pedro Montt Montt | PN | 1886 |
| Government of José Manuel Balmaceda | ||
| Adolfo Valderrama Sáenz de la Peña | PL | 1886–1887 |
| Francisco Freire Caldera | 1887 | |
| Pedro Lucio Cuadra | 1887–1888 | |
| Federico Puga Borne | 1888 | |
| Julio Bañados Espinosa | 1888–1889 | |
| Federico Puga Borne | 1889 | |
| Isidoro Errázuriz Errázuriz | 1889–1890 | |
| Gregorio Donoso Vergara | PLD | 1890 |
| Rafael Casanova Casanova | ||
| Ismael Pérez Montt | 1890–1891 | |
| Francisco Concha Berguecio | 1891 | |
| Government of Jorge Montt Álvarez | ||
| Isidoro Errázuriz Errázuriz | PL | 1891 |
| Federico Errázuriz Echaurren | ||
| Joaquín Walker Martínez | PC | |
| Isidoro Errázuriz Errázuriz | PL | 1891–1892 |
| Juan Castellón Larenas | PR | 1892 |
| Gaspar Toro Hurtado | ||
| Máximo del Campo Yávar | PC | 1892–1893 |
| Joaquín Rodríguez Rozas | PL | 1893 |
| Francisco Pinto Zañartu | 1893–1894 | |
| Federico Errázuriz Echaurren | 1894 | |
| Osvaldo Rengifo Vial | 1894–1895 | |
| Mariano Sánchez Fontecilla | 1895 | |
| Gaspar Toro Hurtado | PR | |
| Government of Federico Errázuriz Echaurren | ||
| Adolfo Ibáñez Gutiérrez | PL | 1896 |
| Federico Puga Borne | 1896–1897 | |
| José Domingo Amunátegui Rivera | 1897–1898 | |
| Augusto Orrego Luco | 1898 | |
| Juan Antonio Orrego | ||
| Carlos Palacios Zapata | ||
| Francisco Herboso España | 1899–1900 | |
| Emilio Bello Codecido | PLD | 1900 |
| Francisco Herboso España | PL | 1900–1901 |
| Ramón Vergara Donoso | PLD | 1901 |
| Ventura Carvallo Elizalde | PL | |
| Ramón Escobar Escobar | PLD | |
| Government of Germán Riesco Errázuriz | ||
| Manuel Ballesteros Ríos | PL | 1901 |
| Rafael Balmaceda Fernández | PLD | 1901–1902 |
| José Domingo Amunátegui Rivera | PL | 1902–1903 |
| Aníbal Sanfuentes Velasco | PLD | 1903 |
| Francisco Concha Berguecio | 1903–1904 | |
| Efraín Vásquez Guarda | 1904 | |
| Enrique Rodríguez Velásquez | PN | |
| Alejandro Fierro Pérez-Camino | 1904–1905 | |
| Javier Ángel Figueroa | PLD | 1905 |
| Antonio Huneeus Gana | PL | |
| Guillermo Pinto Agüero | PLD | 1905–1906 |
| Manuel Salas Lavaqui | 1906 | |
| Samuel Claro Lastarria | PL | |
| Government of Pedro Montt Montt | ||
| Enrique Rodríguez Velásquez | PN | 1906 |
| Ramón Escobar Escobar | PLD | 1906–1907 |
| Óscar Viel Cavero | 1907–1909 | |
| Emiliano Figueroa Larraín | 1909 | |
| Government of Ramón Barros Luco | ||
| Domingo Amunátegui Solar | PL | 1909–1911 |
| Benjamín Montt Montt | PN | 1911–1912 |
| Arturo del Río Racet | PLD | 1912 |
| Enrique Villegas Echiburu | 1912–1913 | |
| Aníbal Letelier Núñez | 1913–1914 | |
| Absalón Valencia Zavala | 1914–1915 | |
| Samuel Claro Lastarria | PL | 1915 |
| Gregorio Amunátegui Solar | ||
| Government of Juan Luis Sanfuentes | ||
| Augusto Orrego Luco | PL | 1915–1916 |
| Roberto Sánchez García de la Huerta | PLD | 1916 |
| Alberto Romero Herrera | PN | |
| Pedro Íñiguez Larraín | PLDo | 1916–1917 |
| Ángel Guarello Costa | PD | 1917 |
| Arturo Alemparte Quiroga | PN | 1917–1918 |
| Pedro Aguirre Cerda | PR | 1918 |
| Alcibíades Roldán Alvarez | PL | |
| Luis Orrego Luco | PR | 1918–1919 |
| Pablo Ramírez Rodríguez | PR | 1919 |
| Julio Prado Amor | PLD | |
| José Bernales Navarro | PD | 1919–1920 |
| Enrique Bermúdez de la Paz | PL | 1920 |
| Javier Gandarillas Matta | PR | |
| Lorenzo Montt Montt | PLDo | |
| Government of Arturo Alessandri Palma | ||
| Alberto Montt Montt | PL | 1920 |
| Armando Jaramillo Valderrama | PL | 1920–1921 |
| Tomás Ramírez Frías | PL | 1921 |
| Roberto Sánchez García de la Huerta | PLD | 1921–1922 |
| Octavio Maira González | PR | 1922 |
| Ángel Guarello Costa | PD | |
| Robinson Paredes Pacheco | 1922–1923 | |
| Carlos Alberto Ruiz Bahamonde | PR | 1923 |
| Luis Salas Romo | ||
| Marcial Martínez de Ferrari | PL | |
| Alcíbiades Roldán Álvarez | 1923–1924 | |
| Domingo Antonio Durán Morales | PR | 1924 |
| Guillermo Labarca Hubertson | ||
| Jorge Prieto Echaurren | PLD | |
| Luis Salas Romo | PR | |
| Gregorio Amunátegui Jordán | PL | |
| Government of Military Junta of 1924 | ||
| Gregorio Amunátegui Jordán | PL | 1924 |
| José Bernales Navarro | PD | |
| José Maza Fernández | PLDo | |
| Government of Arturo Alessandri Palma | ||
| José Maza Fernández | PLDo | 1925 |
| Government of Luis Barros Borgoño (interino) | ||
| Oscar Fenner Marín | Militar | 1925 |
| Government of Emiliano Figueroa Larraín | ||
| Alamiro Huidobro Valdés | PC | 1925–1926 |
| Alvaro Santa María | PLD | 1926 |
| Ramón Montero | PR | 1926–1927 |
| Aquiles Vergara Vicuña | 1927 | |
| Government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo | ||
| Aquiles Vergara Vicuña | PR | 1927 |
| José Santos Salas | USRACH | |
| Enrique Balmaceda Toro | PLD | 1927–1928 |
| Osvaldo Koch Krefft | ind | 1928–1930 |
| David Hermosilla | PR | 1930 |
| Humberto Arce Bobadilla | PR | 1930–1931 |
| Antonio Planet Cordero | PC | 1931 |
| José Manuel Ríos Arias | PL | |
| Guillermo Edwards Matte | PL | |
| Alberto Edwards Vivas | PN | |
| Government of Pedro Opazo Letelier (interino) | ||
| Luis Gutiérrez Alliendes | PC | 1931 |
| Government of Juan Esteban Montero (interino) | ||
| Luis Gutiérrez Alliendes | PC | 1931 |
| Government of Manuel Trucco Franzzani (interino) | ||
| Luis Gutiérrez Alliendes | PC | 1931 |
| Horacio Walker Larraín | ||
| Government of Juan Esteban Montero | ||
| Luis Gutiérrez Alliendes | PC | 1931–1932 |
| Arturo Ureta Echazarreta | 1932 | |
| Government of the Socialist Republic of Chile | ||
| Pedro Antonio Fajardo Ulloa | PD | 1932 |
| Santiago Pérez Peña | PL | |
| Government of Carlos Dávila Espinoza | ||
| Santiago Pérez Peña | PL | 1932 |
| Guillermo Bañados Honorato | PD | |
| Government of Bartolomé Blanche Espejo (interino) | ||
| Juan Antonio Ríos Morales | PR | 1932 |
| Government of Abraham Oyanedel Urrutia (interino) | ||
| Absalón Valencia Zavala | PLD | 1932 |
| 2.º Government of Arturo Alessandri Palma | ||
| Domingo Durán Morales | PR | 1932–1934 |
| Osvaldo Vial Vial | PL | 1934–1935 |
| Francisco Garcés Gana | 1935–1936 | |
| Humberto Álvarez Suárez | 1936 | |
| Pedro Freeman Caris | PR | 1936–1937 |
| Fernando Moller Bordeu | 1937 | |
| Alejandro Serani Burgos | PD | |
| Guillermo Correa Fuenzalida | PL | |
| Government of Pedro Aguirre Cerda | ||
| Raúl Puga Monsalve | PD | 1938–1941 |
| Domingo Godoy Pérez | PL | 1941 |
| Tomás Mora Pineda | PR | |
| Government of Jerónimo Méndez Arancibia (interino) | ||
| Tomás Mora Pineda | PR | 1941–1942 |
| Government of Juan Antonio Ríos Morales | ||
| Jerónimo Ortúzar Rojas | PD | 1942 |
| Oscar Gajardo Villarroel | ind | 1942–1944 |
| Benjamín Claro Velasco | PR | 1944 |
| Eugenio Puga Fisher | PD | 1944–1945 |
| Enrique Arriagada Saldías | PSA | 1945–1946 |
| Government of Alfredo Duhalde Vásquez (interim) | ||
| Arnaldo Carrasco Carrasco | Militar | 1946 |
| Fernando Moller Bordeu | PR | |
| Eugenio Puga Fisher | PD | |
| Government of Juan Antonio Iribarren (interino) | ||
| Eugenio Puga Fisher | PD | 1946 |
| Government of Gabriel González Videla | ||
| Guillermo Correa Fuenzalida | PL | 1946–1947 |
| Humberto Correa Labra | PR | 1947 |
| Eugenio Puga Fisher | PD | 1947–1948 |
| Luis Felipe Letelier Icaza | PCT | 1948–1949 |
| Juan Bautista Rossetti Colombino | PS | 1949–1950 |
| Eugenio Puga Fisher | PD | 1950 |
| Ruperto Puga Fisher | ||
| Humberto Parada Berger | PDa | 1950–1952 |
| Adriana Olguín de Baltra [1st female] | PR | 1952 |
| 2.º Government of Carlos Ibáñez del Campo | ||
| Orlando Latorre González | PDP | 1952–1953 |
| Enrique Monti Forno | PSP | 1953 |
| Juan Gómez Millas | PAL | |
| Santiago Wilson Hernández | PDP | 1953–1954 |
| Osvaldo Koch Krefft | ind | 1954–1955 |
| Arturo Zúñiga Latorre | 1955 | |
| Mariano Fontecilla Varas | PNC | |
| Santiago Wilson Hernández | PDP | 1955–1956 |
| Mariano Fontecilla Varas | PNC | 1956 |
| Arturo Zúñiga Latorre | ind | 1956–1957 |
| Adrián Barrientos Villalobos | Militar | 1957–1958 |
| Luis Octavio Reyes Ugarte | ind | 1958 |
| Arturo Zúñiga Latorre | ||
| Osvaldo Saint Marie Sorucco | ||
| Óscar Acevedo Vega | ||
| Government of Jorge Alessandri Rodríguez | ||
| Julio Philippi Izquierdo | ind | 1958–1960 |
| Enrique Ortúzar Escobar | 1960–1964 | |
| Government of Eduardo Frei Montalva | ||
| Pedro Jesús Rodríguez González | PDC | 1964–1968 |
| William Thayer Arteaga | 1968 | |
| Jaime Castillo Velasco | 1968–1969 | |
| Máximo Pacheco Gómez | 1969 | |
| Gustavo Dagoberto Lagos Matus | ||
| Government of Salvador Allende Gossens | ||
| Lisandro Cruz Ponce | API | 1970–1972 |
| Manuel Sanhueza Cruz | PIR | 1972 |
| Jorge Tapia Valdés | PR | |
| Sergio Insunza Barrios | PCCh | 1972–1973 |
| Government of Augusto Pinochet Ugarte | ||
| Gonzalo Prieto Gándara | Independent | 1973–1974 |
| Hugo Musante Romero | 1974–1975 | |
| Miguel Schweitzer Speisky | 1975–1977 | |
| Renato Damilano Bonfante | 1977 | |
| Mónica Madariaga Gutiérrez | 1977–1983 | |
| Jaime del Valle Alliende | 1983 | |
| Hugo Rosende Subiabre | 1983–1990 | |
| Government of Patricio Aylwin Azócar | ||
| Francisco Cumplido Cereceda | PDC | 1990–1994 |
| Government of Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle | ||
| Soledad Alvear Valenzuela | PDC | 1994–1999 |
| José Antonio Gómez Urrutia | PRSD | 1999–2000 |
| Government of Ricardo Lagos Escobar | ||
| José Antonio Gómez Urrutia | PRSD | 2000–2003 |
| Luis Bates Hidalgo | ind | 2003–2006 |
| 1.º Government of Michelle Bachelet Jeria | ||
| Isidro Solís Palma | PRSD | 2006–2007 |
| Carlos Maldonado Curti | PRSD | 2007–2010 |
| 1.º Government of Sebastián Piñera Echenique | ||
| Felipe Bulnes Serrano | RN | 2010–2011 |
| Teodoro Ribera Neumann | RN | 2011–2012 |
| Patricia Pérez Goldberg | ind | 2012–2014 |
| 2.º Government of Michelle Bachelet Jeria | ||
| José Antonio Gómez Urrutia | PRSD | 2014–2015 |
| Javiera Blanco Suárez | Ind-PDC | 2015–2016 |
| Jaime Campos Quiroga | PRSD | 2016–2018 |
| 2.º Government of Sebastián Piñera Echenique | ||
| Hernán Larraín Fernández | UDI | 2018–2022 |
| Government of Gabriel Boric | ||
| Marcela Ríos | CS | 2022–2023 |
| Luis Cordero Vega | Ind. | 2023-2024 |
| Jaime Gajardo Falcón | PC | 2024-present |
See also
References
- ^ "PHOTO RELEASE: Secretary Noem Meets with Chilean Leaders to Discuss Mutually Beneficial Information Sharing in Fight Against Illegal Immigration, Crime". Homeland Security. Retrieved August 11, 2025.