CONCURRING OPINION OF JUDGE EDUARDO VIO GROSSI
WITH THE ORDER OF THE INTER-AMERICAN COURT OF HUMAN RIGHTS
OF FEBRUARY 27, 2012
CASE OF CABALLERO DELGADO AND SANTANA v. COLOMBIA
MONITORING COMPLIANCE WITH JUDGMENT
With this opinion, the undersigned expresses his agreement with the order indicated above
(hereinafter “the order”), in the understanding that, in keeping with the relevant norms and
in view of the extended, and consequently more than prudent or reasonable, time that has
elapsed since the delivery of the judgment in this case without the State concerned
(hereinafter “the State”) having complied with its fundamental elements, the InterAmerican Court of Human Rights (hereinafter “the Court”) must advise the General
Assembly of the Organization of American States (hereinafter “OAS General Assembly”) of
this situation.
The foregoing is based on the following elements: (a) the specific provisions of the
American Convention on Human Rights1 and the Statute of the Court;2 (b) the State
concerned must comply with the judgments of the Court3 and the adoption of the pertinent
measures in the event of non-compliance is the responsibility of the OAS General Assembly,
the political authority;4 (c) once it has delivered the “final and non-appealable” judgment,5
the Court has no further powers other than the authority to deliver the judgment on
reparations and costs, if it has not already done so,6 to interpret both judgments,7 to rectify
any obvious mistakes, clerical errors, or errors in calculation in which it has incurred,8 to
monitor compliance with the judgment,9 and to inform the OAS General Assembly in case of
non-compliance;10 (d) it is not incumbent upon the Court to substitute for the possible
inadequacies of the mechanism established in the Convention for cases of non-compliance
with its judgments, but rather, in this eventuality, to submit to the OAS General Assembly
“proposals or recommendations on ways to improve the inter-American system of human
rights,”11 and it corresponds to the States to adopt the amendments or modifications they
deem appropriate;12 (e) it is not admissible to transform the regulatory mechanism of
monitoring compliance with a “final and non-appealable” judgment,13 into the prolongation
of the case: (f) it is not a question of invoking the pro homine principle in this regard,14
because the mechanism of monitoring compliance with judgments is not a right recognized
in the Convention, but rather an instrument established by the Rules of Procedure to allow
the Court to improve its compliance with the obligation to inform the OAS General Assembly
of non-compliance with its judgments, and (g) in accordance with the meaning of the term
“monitor/supervise”15 and the provisions of the Rules of Procedure,16 the mechanism of
1
Art. 65.
Art. 30.
3
Art. 68(1) of the Convention.
4
Art. 65 of the Convention.
5
Art. 67 of the Convention.
6
Art. 66 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court.
7
Art. 67 of the Convention. Art.68 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court.
8
Art.76 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court.
9
Art. 69 of the Rules of Procedure of the Court.
10
Art. 65 of the Convention. Art.30 of the Statute of the Court.
11
Art. 30 of the Statute.
12
Arts. 76 and 77 of the Convention.
13
Art. 67 of the Convention.
14
Art. 29 of the Convention.
15
Diccionario de la Lengua Española, Real Academia Española, edición 2001: supervisar: “ejercer la
inspección superior en trabajos realizados por otros” [oversee the work performed by others].
2