The Political Constitution of the Free State of Costa Rica promulgated on April 9, 1844 was the second constitution of the country, if local constitutions are excluded when it was a member of the

Central American Federation The Federal Republic of Central America ( es, República Federal de Centroamérica), originally named the United Provinces of Central America ( es, Provincias Unidas del Centro de América), and sometimes simply called Central America, in it ...

, and eight if these are included. Francisco Morazán's regime was toppled by

José María Alfaro Zamora José María Alfaro Zamora (March 20, 1799 – June 12, 1856) was the Costa Rican Head of State between the periods of 1842 and 1844 as well as 1846 and 1847 and President of Costa Rica between May 1 and May 8, 1847. Early life and family ...

. Zamora as interim ruler, on April 5, 1843, convened a Constitutional Assembly that was officially established on June 1 of that year and drafted the Constitution that would be in force until 1847 when, Alfaro again, summons a new Constituent. It was the first constitution to expressly establish ministries, these were; of Office, of Interior, Foreign and Interior Relations and of Treasury and War. Although it does not specified its functions. The Legislative Branch was bicameral and the

Head of State A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

will be replaced by the President of the Senate in case of death, illness or destitution. It also institutes the

San Juan de Dios Hospital San Juan de Dios Educational Foundation, Inc. (SJDEFI or SJ, formerly Hospital de San Juan de Dios) is a private, non-stock, non-profit, joint institute of education and tertiary health sciences operating as a college and a hospital in Pasay, P ...

and its Charity Board that would eventually be transformed into the Social Protection Board. It also establishes education as a right of Costa Ricans and as a duty of the State to grant it by putting all the means at its disposal to provide it. The dissatisfaction with the Constitution of 1844 by the military led to the coup of 1846 and this in turn to the drafting of the Constitution "corrected" of 1847.

References

{{Constitutions of Costa Rica Constitutions of Costa Rica