6. Brief with pleadings, motions and evidence. The representatives of the alleged victim (hereinafter “the representatives”)2 presented their brief with pleadings, motions and evidence (hereinafter “the pleadings and motions brief”) on September 12, 2021. In this brief they included arguments on the violation of Articles 7(4), 8(1) and 8(2)(h) of the American Convention in relation to Articles 1(1) and 2 of this instrument. The document did not contain any requests or the offer of evidence. 7. Answering brief. The State presented its brief answering the Commission’s submission of the case and Admissibility and Merits Report, and also the pleadings and motions brief (hereinafter “the answering brief”)3 on November 11, 2021, pursuant to Article 41 of the Court’s Rules of Procedure. In this brief it set out three preliminary objections, and asked the Court to declare that it was not internationally responsible for the alleged violations and that it was not appropriate to order the reparations claimed. 8. Observations on the preliminary objections. In briefs of January 5, 2022, both the representatives and the Commission presented their observations on the preliminary objections proposed by the State. Additionally, the Court received a communication from the alleged victim on January 5, 2022, in which Scot Cochran made his own observations on the preliminary objections. 9. Public hearing. In an order of October 5, 2022,4 the President call the State, the representatives and the Commission to a public hearing to receive their final oral arguments and observations on the preliminary objections and possible merits, reparations and costs, as well as to receive the statement of the alleged victim, ex officio. The public hearing took place on November 9, 2022, during the Court’s 154th regular session which was held at its seat.5 10. Final written arguments and observations. On November 17, 2022, the State presented its final written arguments, together with a series of annexes. On December 9, 2022, the Commission and the representatives presented their final written observations and arguments, respectively. 11. Observations on the annexes. On December 22, 2022, the State forwarded its observations on the annex presented by the representatives. On January 13, 2023, the Commission and the representatives forwarded their observations on the annexes presented by the State together with its final written arguments. 12. Deliberation of the case. The Court deliberated on this judgment virtually on March 7, 9 and 10, 2023, during its 156th regular session. During the initial processing of this case before the Inter-American Court, the alleged victim was represented by Ana Briceño Ramírez, Francisco José Aguilar Urbina and Carlos Hernán Robles Macaya. However, as of May 4, 2022, he was represented by the Maricel Gómez Murillo and Tomás Poblador Ramírez, inter-American public defenders. 2 3 The State appointed Natalia Córdoba Ulate and Patricia Solano Castro as its agents in this case. Case of Scot Cochran v. Costa Rica. Order of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights of October 5, 2022. Available at: https://www.corteidh.or.cr/docs/asuntos/scot_cochran_05_10_22.pdf 4 5 There appeared at this hearing: (a) for the Inter-American Commission: Erick Acuña Pereda, and Karin Mansel; (b) for the representatives: Maricel Gómez Murillo, Tomás Poblador Ramírez and Hugo Solís Álvarez, and (c) for the State: Patricia Solano Castro, Natalia Córdoba Ulate, Carlos Jiménez González, José Carlos Jiménez Alpízar, Ricardo Salas Porras, Adriana Masis Carpio and Steven Orozco Fonseca. 4