In its judgment in the Contreras Sepúlveda case in 2004, Chile’s Supreme Court stated that “the irregular detention of civilians may not be considered to fall within the competence of the military”. 

In 2000, during the consideration of the fourth periodic report of Chile before the Human Rights Committee, a representative of Chile stated that “on July 1, 1998, Law No. 19,567 … [has] been enacted, … abolishing detention on suspicion”.