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Foreign Law (Laws of Other Countries)

This guide will help users navigate the domestic laws of a foreign country. For help with treaties or international case law, please use the International Law guide

Mexican Law Databases

Guide to Finding Mexican Legislation (Diario Oficial)

This guide focuses on locating Diario Oficial using resources in the Legal Research Center. For this guide we will use example citations from The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed.) (2005) Table 2: Foreign Jurisdictions: Mexico.

What is the Diario Oficial?

The Diario Oficial de la Federación (D.O) is the official gazette of the federal government in Mexico. In Civil Law Countries all legal matters and legislation must be published in their "Official Gazette" before it can go into effect. The gazettes, which are legal newspapers, are known as "Diarios" or "Gacetas" and are published on a daily basis by the government. The D.O. in Mexico contains all new federal legislation and legislation that applies to the Federal District and states. The D.O. also contains important announcements, notices, decrees, resolutions, tenders, proposed rules and regulations, and draft and final standard issued by the Mexican government and its agencies.

A Diario Oficial citation in Bluebook form may look like any of these:

RULE   TYPE OF DOCUMENT EXAMPLE CITATION
Table 2 Federal Constitution Constitución Politica de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos [Const.], as amended, Diario Oficial de la Federación [D.O.], 5 de Febrero de 1917 (Mex.).
Table 2 Federal Code Código Penal Federal [C.P.F.] [Federal Criminal Code], as amended, Diario Oficial de la Federación [D.O.], 14 de Agosto de 1931 (Mex.).
Table 2 Federal Statutes Ley Federal de Compentencia Económica [L.F.C.E.] [Competition Law], as amended, Diario Oficial de la Federación [D.O.], 24 Diciembre de 1992 (Mex.).
Table 2 Administrative and Executive Materials Decreto de Promulgación de la Convencion de Viena, sobre el Derecho de los Tratados entre Estados y Organizaciones Internacionales [Decree to enact the Vienna Convention on Treaties], Diario Oficial de la Federación, [D.O.], 24 Diciembre de 1992 (Mex.).

Note that each citation specifies the official title of the item, a translation in English, a note indicating whether the item has been amended, and finally the date of publication in the Diaro Oficial.

Where can I find the Diario Oficial in print?

Diario oficial: órgano del gobierno provisional de la República Mexicana (1916-1987)

Available via Interlibrary Loan from the following institutions (dates of coverage vary): Auburn University Library, Arizona State University Library, Yale University Law Library, University of Florida Library, University of Miami Law Library, University of Missouri Library, Duke University Library, University of Pennsylvania Law Library, Texas Tech Library, University of Houston O'Quinn Library, and the University of Texas at Austin Library.

Diario oficial de la federación : órgano constitucional de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (1987 – present)

Available via Interlibrary Loan from the following institutions (dates of coverage vary): Los Angeles County Law Library, Loyola Law School Library, UC Davis Law Library, University of Arizona College of Law Library, University of Houston O'Quinn Law Library, and the University of Texas at Austin Law Library.

Where can I find the Diario Oficial online (Spanish)?

SEGOB, Diario Oficial

  • http://www.ordenjuridico.gob.mx/
  • The Secretaría de Gobernación (translated as the Secretariat of the Interior), often shortened to SEGOB is the Cabinet-level agency of Mexico responsible for administering the country's internal affairs. The SEGOB website contains:
    • PDF images of the Diario Oficial de la Federación from 1995 – present - Select Diarios, Periódicos, Gacetas, y Boletins Oficiales on the left hand side of the main page. Then select Diario Oficial de la Federación. Use the interactive calendar to locate D.O. publications by date.
    • PDF images or full-text of selected State Diarios and Gacetas - Select Diarios, Periódicos, Gacetas, y Boletins Oficiales on the left hand side of the main page. Then choose the State you are interested in
    • PDF images of the most recent edition of important Federal laws (leyes) and regulations (reglamentos) - Use the drop down menu on the main page under Orden Juridico Federal (Federal Legal Orders)

 

Cámara de Diputados (Chamber of Deputies)

  • http://www.diputados.gob.mx/LeyesBiblio/index.htm
  • The Chamber of Deputies (in Spanish: Cámara de Diputados) is the lower house of the Congress of the Union, Mexico's bicameral legislature.
  • The Chamber of Deputies website contains: PDF images of the Federal Constitution, Codes, and selected Laws (Select Leyes Federales y Estatales on the right hand side of the main page)

Westlaw

  •     From 1995 to present (updated daily)
  •     Full text only

LexisNexis

  •     Coverage from 2005 to present (updated within 48 hours of publication)
  •     Full text only

Mexican Law Research Guides