This book offers a thorough, critical, and accessible analysis of the American Convention on Human Rights which is the main human rights treaty of the Americas. The authors closely review the jurisprudence and the binding judgments of the two institutions charged with interpreting the Convention: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights and The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.They focus on the rights most developed by the Court and Commission, namely the rights to equality, life, humane treatment, personal liberty, property, due process and judicial protection, as well as the freedom of expression and reparations. They examine the case law with a victim-centered lens while identifying key jurisprudential developments, discussing critical areas that lack consistency and rigor, and proposing alternative conceptual approaches. Each chapter contains an Introduction to compare the Convention right's formulation with equivalent rights in other major international and regional treaties; a background section to consider the right's negotiation history; a Scope of Protection section to analyze the right's provisions (paragraph-by-paragraph or topic-by-topic); and lastly, a Limitations section, if applicable, to study any limitations to the right. In addition, the book's Introduction presents an up-to-date overview of the dynamic Inter-American Human Rights System, discussing the System's legal instruments, major institutions, significant impact, key developments, and current challenges.

Auteur

Thomas M. Antkowiak is an Associate Professor of Law and Director of the Latin America Program at Seattle University School of Law, where he teaches international human rights, international law, and the international human rights clinic. Professor Antkowiak has litigated several matters before the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American Court; he also served as a senior attorney at the Court. He has published numerous works on the Inter-American Human Rights System, including articles in leading international legal journals and an edited book. He received his law degree from Columbia Law School, and his undergraduate degree from Harvard University. Alejandra Gonza is Director of the International Human Rights Clinic at the University of Washington School of Law, and has significant experience in the Inter-American System. She served as a senior attorney at the Inter-American Commission and the Inter-American Court. She has published on freedom of expression, indigenous rights, property rights, and corporations in the Inter-American System. An Argentine lawyer, she received her law degree from Tucumán University (Argentina), and her master's degree in human rights from Pontifical University of Salamanca (Spain).

Contenu

Chapter 1: Introduction I. Overview II. The Inter-American Human Rights System's Impact, Major Institutions, and Legal Instruments A. Impact and Importance of the Inter-American System B. The Organization of American States, the American Convention, and Other Critical Human Rights Instruments C. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights D. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights 1. Introduction 2. The Court in Relation to the Commission 3. The Court's Ratione Materiae, Ratione Temporis, Ratione Personae, and Ratione Loci Jurisdiction 4. Note on the Court's Assessment of Evidence and Burden of Proof III. Key Developments and Critiques of the Inter-American Jurisprudence A. Introduction B. Extensive State Obligations to Respect and Ensure Rights C. Article 63: Reparations D. Article 24: Right to Equality E. Article 4: The Right to Life F. Article 5: The Right to Humane Treatment G. Article 7: The Right to Personal Liberty H. The Rights to Due Process and Judicial Protection 1. Article 8: Right to a Fair Trial 2. Article 25: Right to Judicial Protection I. Article 13: Freedom of Expression J. Article 21: The Right to Property IV. The Book's Structure and Methodology Chapter 2: Equality I. Introduction II. Background III. Scope of Protection A. The Relationship of Article 24 and Article 1 B. The Assessment of Discrimination 1. Definitions and State Obligations 2. The Progression of the Court's Case Law: Discrimination in Law and in Fact a. Introduction b. Perceived Political Opponents c. Disadvantaged Groups d. Synthesis 3. Atala Riffo and the Court's Current Approach to Discrimination Chapter 3: Life I. Introduction II. Background III. Extensive State Obligations to Respect and Ensure the Right to Life A. Introduction B. Duty to Respect C. Duty to Ensure (or "Protect") 1. Overview 2. Duty to Prevent through Legal Regulation 3. Duty to Adopt "Prevention and Protection Measures" in Threatening Circumstances 4. Duty to Investigate and Punish IV. Scope of Protection A. The Meaning of "Every Person" and "In General, From the Moment of Conception" B. The Meaning of "No One Shall Be Arbitrarily Deprived" of Life 1. The Death Penalty a. Introduction b. "Only For The Most Serious Crimes" c. The "Mandatory" Death Penalty d. Due Process Requirements e. Right to Apply for Pardon, Amnesty or Commutation 2. Use of Lethal Force in Law Enforcement Scenarios a. Introduction b. The Principles of Legality, Necessity and Proportionality c. The Burden of Proof d. State Duties After the Use of Force 3. Use of Lethal Force in Armed Conflicts 4. Arbitrary Deprivation of Life of Imprisoned Individuals a. Introduction b. Detention Conditions and Health Care c. Security Operations in Prisons 5. Forced Disappearances of Persons a. Introduction and Definition b. The Right to Life and Ratione Temporis Jurisdiction C. The Concept of Vida Digna Chapter 4: Humane Treatment I. Introduction II. Background III. Scope of Protection A. A Broad Right with Uncertain Parameters B. Definitions of Torture and the Inter-American Convention to Prevent and Punish Torture C. The Inter-American Court's Three-Part Test for Torture D. Involvement of State Actors: a Fourth Requirement? E. Considerations of Evidence and Proof F. Cruel, Inhuman, or Degrading Punishment or Treatment 1. Introduction 2. Sexual Violence and Violence against Women 3. State-Sanctioned Punishment a. Corporal Punishment b. The Death Penalty c. Life Imprisonment: Children 4. Detention Conditions and Practices 5. Forced Disappearance 6. Threats of "Severe Physical Injuries" 7. Treatment of Children G. Violations to Personal Integrity Below the Threshold of Article 5(2) H. Investigation and Prevention: State Obligations to Ensure the Rights of Article 5 I. Article 5(3): No Extension of Punishment Beyond the Convicted Individual J. Article 5(4): Separate Location and Treatment for Unconvicted Persons in Detention K. Article 5(5): Separate Proceedings and Facilities for Children in Criminal Justice System L. Article 5(6): "Reform and Social Readaptation" of Prisoners Chapter 5: Personal Liberty I. Introduction II. Background III. Scope of Protection A. Overview 1. Right to Physical Liberty 2. Right to Personal Security B. General Requirements to Deprive Liberty: the Principles of Legality and Arbitrariness 1. The Legality Principle a. Restriction of Liberty Always the Exception b. Ordered by a Competent Judicial Authority i. Synthesis ii. Detentions without Judicial Warrants: Exceptional Cases c. State Obligation to Register Detentions d. Detention Time Limits and Orders for Release e. Pretrial Detention as Illegal Detention f. Court's Increasing Reluctance to Find Violations of Article 7(2) 2. The Arbitrariness Principle a. Synthesis b. Forced Disappearances c. Pretrial Detention as Arbitrary Detention i. Sufficient Evidence of Criminal Responsibility ii. Risks to the Criminal Proceeding iii. Detention in Immigration Proceedings iv. Pretrial Detention of Special Sectors of the Population v. Time Limits for Pretrial Detention 3. Methodological Problems: Legality and Arbitrariness C. The Specific Requirements of Paragraphs 4, 5, and 6 of Article 7 1. Article 7(4): Reasons for Det…