Corporate criminal liability advisory under Law 20.393 — Anguita Osorio.
Crime prevention model design, independent third-party evaluation and internal investigations.
Law 20.393: Summary, Covered Offenses and Updated Text
Law 20.393 is the Chilean statute that establishes criminal liability of legal entities (RPPJ) for predicate offenses perpetrated in the framework of their activity, where the offense was favored or facilitated by the lack of effective implementation of an adequate prevention model. The Economic Crimes Law (21.595) substantially expanded its catalog and tightened the requirements applicable to crime prevention models.
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Scope and addressees
Which entities are exposed and which conduct triggers liability.
Liability under Law 20.393 reaches legal entities of private law and public-law entities not exercising sovereign functions. Liability is triggered by predicate offenses listed in the law (significantly expanded by Law 21.595 in 2023) perpetrated in the framework of the entity's activity by a person holding a position, function or role in it, or managing its affairs before third parties, provided the offense was favored or facilitated by the lack of effective implementation of an adequate prevention model (Article 3).
This page summarizes the statute. For when the company is actually liable and how it builds its defense, see our analysis of corporate criminal liability: when the company is liable and how it defends itself.
Liable entities
Corporations, partnerships, foundations, religious associations, public-law entities not performing sovereign functions, and political parties. Sole proprietorships are excluded.
Triggering offenses
After Law 21.595, the catalog covers economic, environmental, market, anti-money-laundering, anti-corruption and labor-safety offenses, among others. The catalog should be reviewed annually against the current operations of each company.
Connection to the entity
Liability extends to owners, controllers, officers, executives, representatives and any person carrying out administration or supervision tasks — including, where applicable, third parties acting on behalf of the entity.
Crime prevention model — minimum components
The model is the principal mechanism to exclude or mitigate liability.
- Compliance officer (encargado de prevención)
Independent from management, with sufficient resources, board-level access and a defined term. Their appointment, autonomy and reporting are central evidence of model suitability.
- Risk identification
Mapping of activities, processes and counterparties exposed to predicate offenses, with concrete heat-mapping methodology and traceability.
- Protocols, controls and procedures
Documented controls aligned with the identified risks: segregation of duties, four-eyes principle, expense and gift caps, third-party due diligence, conflict-of-interest registers.
- Training and communication
Periodic, role-targeted training with assistance and assessment records. Communication of the model to suppliers, contractors and subsidiaries.
- Whistleblower channel and disciplinary regime
Anonymous, retaliation-protected reporting channel; investigation procedure with due process; disciplinary measures linked to internal regulations.
- Monitoring, audit and continuous improvement
Internal audit cycle, KPI dashboards, periodic board reporting, and a documented update process when the entity's risk profile changes.
Sanctions
Calibrated by severity following Law 21.595 reform.
Sanction catalog
- Day-fine system, with scales calibrated by severity of the predicate offense.
- Temporary or permanent prohibition from contracting with State bodies.
- Partial or total loss of fiscal benefits and a five-year ban on receiving them.
- Forfeiture of proceeds and instruments of the offense.
- Judicial supervision and, in the most serious cases, dissolution of the legal entity.
Frequently asked questions
What is Law 20.393?
Law 20.393 is the Chilean statute establishing the criminal liability of legal entities (RPPJ) for offenses committed in their interest or benefit by owners, controllers, officers, executives, representatives or persons carrying out administration and supervision tasks, where the offense results from a breach of management and supervisory duties.
What did Law 21.595 (Economic Crimes Law) change?
Law 21.595 substantially expanded the catalog of predicate offenses under Law 20.393, added economic and environmental crimes, recalibrated the applicable sanctions and strengthened the technical requirements of the crime prevention model. RPPJ shifted from a narrow contingency to a cross-cutting risk every company must manage.
What is a crime prevention model (MPD)?
It is the internal governance, controls, training and monitoring system the legal entity adopts to prevent, detect and respond to the predicate offenses. Its existence, suitability and effectiveness are the main path to exclude or mitigate liability. It must be proportional to company size and industry, and kept current through periodic audits.
Is it mandatory to appoint a compliance officer?
Yes. Law 20.393 requires appointing a prevention officer (compliance officer) with autonomy from management, sufficient resources and direct access to the board. Their appointment is a condition of model suitability and, together with regular reporting to the senior body, one of the most scrutinized documentary requirements in a criminal investigation.
What sanctions can be imposed on the legal entity?
Sanctions include fines, temporary or permanent prohibition from entering into contracts with State bodies, partial or total loss of fiscal benefits, forfeiture, judicial supervision and even dissolution. Following Law 21.595, fines follow the day-fine system with scales calibrated by severity.
Is a crime prevention model certified?
No. The Law 21.595 reform eliminated the certification regime for prevention models. What the law contemplates is periodic evaluation of the model by an independent third party, under Article 4 of Law 20.393. It is not a criminal-law shield: the court assesses the substantive suitability of the model in each case. Even so, external evaluation provides robust evidence of board-level preventive diligence.
Official sources
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