Abstract
According to development scholars, legal reforms should provide litigants with new rights, enhance efficiency, and increase citizen trust in legal institutions. I investigate whether some of these normative claims have been realized through Chile's landmark criminal law reforms occurring after its transition to democracy. I find that Chile's criminal law reforms have improved defendants' rights by reducing the percentage of individuals incarcerated prior to sentence. This reduction signals a significant change in the treatment of criminals who once languished in jail for long periods without adequate due process and in violation of international human rights standards. Although the reforms have been viewed positively by citizens, opinions about Chile's judiciary have not changed significantly since Chile's return to democracy. While the Chilean government's focus on criminal law reform has not been misplaced, similar reforms with substantial government support are needed to significantly change citizens' attitudes towards the country's legal institutions more generally.
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