Costa Rica approves legal insurance policy for police officers

The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica has definitively approved a bill to create an insurance policy for police officers. This state-funded policy is designed to cover civil liability and legal defense expenses for officers facing criminal, civil, or administrative litigation resulting directly from the performance of their official duties.

The legislation amends the General Police Law to authorize the State to purchase coverage for officers. The policy includes a limit of up to fifty base salaries (approximately ¢23 million) for patrimonial liability and up to twenty-five base salaries for legal representation costs.

The measure now moves to the Executive Branch for President Laura Fernández’s signature. The coverage applies to direct interventions involving citizens or property, as well as related preparatory actions, provided the officers are acting within the scope of their functions.