13 50. On September 16, 2003, the Secretariat, following instructions from the Inter-American Court, informed the parties that, in accordance with Article 39 of the Rules of Procedure, it had admitted the request of the representatives of the alleged victim and his next of kin in the sense of authorising the performance of other acts of the written procedure. In consideration of the foregoing, the Court granted said representatives and the Commission a non extendable term up to October 16, 2003, to submit their reply brief, and granted the State a final non-extendable extension for thirty days from receipt of such reply briefs, for the submission of its rejoinder brief. Furthermore, the Secretariat indicated that the brief submitted by Mexico on September 5, 2006 had been considered by the Court as the rejoinder brief (supra para. 49), without affecting the State’s possibility to submit additional arguments. 51. On October 16, 2003, the Inter-American Commission and the representatives of the alleged victim and his next of kin submitted their reply briefs, respectively. On November 04, 2003, the appendices to the representatives’ reply brief were received at the Secretariat’s headquarters. 52. On November 19, 2003, the State submitted its “clarifications and comments” concerning the October 16, 2003 briefs of the Commission and of the representatives of the alleged victim and his next of kin. The appendices to the above-mentioned rejoinder brief were received at the Secretariat’s headquarters on December 16, 2003. 53. On March 01, 2004, the President issued a ruling whereby the parties were summoned to attend a public hearing to be held at the Inter-American Court on April 27, 2004, to hear their oral arguments on the preliminary objections entered by the State (supra para. 41). 54. On April 27, 2004, the Court, at a public hearing on preliminary objections, heard the oral arguments of the State, the Inter-American Commission, and the representatives of the alleged victim and his next of kin. Appeared before the Court: for the State: Juan José Gómez-Camacho, Agent; María del Refugio González-Domínguez, Alternate Agent; José Ignacio Martín-del-Campo-Covarrubias, advisor; Jorge Ulises Carmona-Tinoco, advisor; Ulises Sandal Ramos-Koprivitza, advisor; and Alejandro Sousa-Bravo, advisor. For the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Santiago A. Canton, Delegate; Elizabeth Abi-Mershed, advisor; Mario López-Garelli, advisor; and Lilly Ching, advisor. For the representatives of the alleged victim and his next of kin: