8
the cases processed before the Venezuelan criminal courts.
b) José Luis Tamayo Rodríguez. Attorney specialized in Criminal Law. Witness
proposed by the representatives. He testified, inter alia, on the impact the
provisional justice has had in the Judicial Power and in the cases
processed before the Venezuelan criminal courts.
c) Aracelys Salas Viso. Retired judge of the Judicial Power. Witness proposed
by the representatives. She testified, inter alia, on the impact the
provisional justice has had in the Judicial Power and in the cases
processed before the Venezuelan criminal courts.
d) Petra Margarita Jiménez Ortega. Provisional Judge dismissed by the
Judicial Commission. Witness proposed by the representatives. She
testified, inter alia, on how judges are allegedly being dismissed without
any type of proceeding and justification and the impact this situation has
caused on the Venezuelan Judicial Power.
e) Oswaldo Ramón Hevia Araujo. Deputy Director of the National School of
the Magistracy. Witness proposed by the State. He testified, inter alia, on
the activities carried out in the progress of the restructuring of the Judicial
Power started in 1999.
f) José Leonardo Requena Cabello. Secretary of the Constitutional Chamber
of the Supreme Court of Justice. Witness proposed by the State. He
testified, inter alia, on the practices of the Constitutional Chamber of the
Supreme Court of Justice for the admission and processing of the appeals
for constitutional revision.
g) Damián Adolfo Nieto Carrillo. 18 Former President of the Commission of
Operation and Restructuring of the Judicial System. Witness Proposed by
the State. He expanded his statement offered in the case of Apitz Barbera
et al. (“First Court of Administrative Disputes”) v. Venezuela, regarding
the specific facts he has allegedly witnessed and that prove the conditions
of autonomy and independence with which the Judicial Power acts with
regard to the disciplinary power exercised by the Commission for the
Operation and Restructuring of the Judiciary.
h) Alberto Arteaga Sánchez. Attorney specialized in Criminal Law. Expert
proposed by the representatives. 19 He testified on Venezuela’s domestic
law with regard to the operation of the Judicial Power, the rules on the
appointment and dismissal of judges, the situation of provisional judges,
and the effectiveness of the judicial remedies available in cases of
arbitrary dismissals of provisional judges.
i)
José Zeitune. Attorney with experience in matters regarding the autonomy
and independence of the Judicial Power. Expert proposed by the
representatives. He testified, inter alia, on the international standards
applicable to judges with regard to their acceptance and continuance; the
sanctions applicable to the judges, their proceedings and standards for an
independent revision; the autonomy and independence of the Judicial
18
The informative opinion of Mr. Nieto Carrillo, offered in the case of Apitz Barbera et al. (“First
Court of Administrative Disputes”) v. Venezuela, was transferred to the present case, according to that
stated in the President’s Order, supra note ¡Error! Marcador no definido..
19
This expert opinion was originally proposed by the Commission; however, on October 31, 2008 it
informed it wanted to desist it. The representatives forwarded this affidavit on November 5, 2008.