21
there is a possibility that, in certain cases, some restrictions applied to
the principle of res judicata are not valid if the respective facts do not
include especially grave conduct, and the lack of outcome in a specific
investigation holds no relationship with particular procedural actions or
omissions, clearly carried out in bad faith or negligently, in order to
favor or allow impunity.36
However, when dealing with grave and systematic violations to
human rights, such as in the present case, the impunity of these
behaviors due to the lack of investigation is a rather high infringement
of the victims’ rights. The extent of this infringement not only authorizes
but also demands an exceptional limitation of the guarantee of ne bis in
idem, in order to allow the reopening of these investigations when the
decision argued as res judicata stems from the protuberant noncompliance of the duties to investigate and seriously punish grave
violations. In such cases, the preponderance of the victims’ rights over
legal certainty and the ne bis in idem is even more evident, since the
victims not only suffered atrocious behavior but they must also bear the
State’s indifference, which openly fails to comply with its obligation to
clarify the acts, punish those responsible, and repair the affected
parties.37 The seriousness of the events of these cases is of such
magnitude that it affects the essence of social coexistence and, at the
same time, prevents any type of legal certainty. Therefore, when
analyzing the legal appeals that may be filed by the defendants for
grave violations of human rights, the Tribunal points out that judicial
authorities are obliged to determine if the deviation in the use of a
criminal guarantee can generate a disproportionate restriction of the
victims’ rights, where a clear violation of the right to access justice
affects the criminal procedural guarantee of res judicata. In this regard,
the “Set of updated principles for the protection and promotion of
human rights by fighting impunity” states that:
44.
States should adopt and enforce safeguards against any abuse of rules such as those
pertaining to prescription periods, amnesty, right to asylum, refusal to extradite, non bis in
idem, due obedience, official immunities, repentance, the jurisdiction of military courts and
the irremovability of judges that fosters or contributes to impunity.38
36
In a similar sense, Cf. Case of Ivcher Bronstein v. Peru. Monitoring Compliance with Judgment.
Order of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of November 24, 2009, Considering Clause thirteen and
seventeen and Case of Las Palmeras v. Colombia. Monitoring Compliance with Judgment. Order of the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights of February 3, 2010. Considering Clause nineteen.
37
In a similar sense, Cf. Constitutional Court of Colombia, Judgment C-004 of January 20, 2003
(Dossier D-4041).
38
United Nations, Set of Principles for the Protection and Promotion of Human Rights through actions
to Combat Impunity (E/CN.4/2005/102/Add.1), principle 22.