Inter-American Court of Human Rights Case of the Serrano-Cruz Sisters v. El Salvador Judgment of November 23, 2004 (Preliminary Objections) In the Case of the Serrano Cruz Sisters, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Inter-American Court” or “the Court”), composed of the following judges∗: Sergio García Ramírez, President Alirio Abreu Burelli, Vice President Oliver Jackman, Judge Antônio A. Cançado Trindade, Judge Cecilia Medina Quiroga, Judge Manuel E. Ventura Robles, Judge, and Alejandro Montiel Argüello, Judge ad hoc; also present, Pablo Saavedra Alessandri, Secretary, and Emilia Segares Rodríguez, Deputy Secretary; pursuant to Articles 37, 56 and 58 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court (hereinafter “the Rules of Procedure”),1 delivers this judgment on the preliminary objections filed by the State of El Salvador (hereinafter “the State” or “El Salvador”). I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE 1. On June 14, 2003, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 50 and 61 of the American Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Convention” or “the American Convention”), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (hereinafter “the Commission” or “the Inter-American Commission”) filed an application against El Salvador before the Court, arising from petition No. 12,132, received by the Secretariat of the Commission on February 16, 1999. II Judge Diego García-Sayán excused himself from hearing this case, pursuant to Articles 19(2) of the Court’s Statute and 19 of its Rules of Procedure. ∗ 1 This judgment is delivered under the Rules of Procedure adopted by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights at its forty-ninth regular session in an order of November 24, 2000, which entered into force on June 1, 2001, and under the partial reform adopted by the Court at its sixty-first regular session by an order of November 25, 2003, in force since January 1, 2004.