11 limits of sound judicial discretion3; and has always avoided making a rigid determination of the amount of evidence required to support a judgment4. 52. This practice extends to the briefs in which the representatives of the victims or, when appropriate, their next of kin, and the Inter-American Commission formulate their claims for reparations and to the State’s answering brief, which are the principal documents at this stage and, in general, entail the same formalities with regard to the submission of evidence as the application5. On this basis, the Court will proceed to examine and evaluate all the elements that make up the body of evidence in this case, according to the rule of sound judicial discretion, within the legal framework of the case sub judice. a) DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE 53. The next of kin of Anna Elizabeth Paniagua submitted one document6 with a brief of August 27, 1998. 54. The lawyer, Mark Martel, representing the next of kin of Mr. Vásquez, Mrs. Paniagua Morales and Mr. González López, submitted nine annexes7, with the brief of September 1, 1998. 55. The next of kin of William Otilio González Rivera attached a document to their brief of March 23, 19998. 56. The next of kin of Julián Salomón Gómez Ayala remitted 11 annexes9 with notes dated April 28, 1999. 3 Cf. Ivcher Bronstein case, supra note 2, para. 69; “The Last Temptation of Christ” case (Olmedo Bustos et al.), supra note 2, para. 54; Baena Ricardo et al. case, supra note 2, paras. 70 and 72; The Constitutional Court case, supra note 2, para. 49; Bámaca Velásquez case, supra note 2, para. 100; Cantoral Benavides case. Judgment of August 18, 2000. Series C No. 69, para. 52; Durand and Ugarte case. Judgment of August 16, 2000. Series C No. 68, paras. 53-56; Villagrán Morales et al. (the “Street Children” case). Judgment of November 19, 1999. Series C No. 63, para. 71; Castillo Páez case, Reparations, supra note 2, para. 40; Loayza Tamayo case, Reparations, supra note 2, para. 57; and Paniagua Morales et al. case, supra note 2, para. 76. 4 Cf. Military and Paramilitary Activities in and against Nicaragua (Nicaragua v. United States of America), Merits, Judgment, I.C.J. Reports 1986, para. 60. 5 6 Cf. Loayza Tamayo case, Reparations, supra note 2, para. 39. Cf. Newspaper article, “Trading murder, torture for peace, freedom”, The Intelligencer, March 15, 1988. 7 Cf. Affidavit by Alberto Paniagua of August 30, 1998, Annex A; statement by doctor Oscar Jorda of August 31, 1998, Annex B; affidavit by Elsa Carolina Paniagua de Polanco of August 31, 1998, Annex C; affidavit by Mauricio Peñalba of August 31, 1998, Annex D; statement by Erwin Díaz of August 28, 1998, Annex E; summary mortality tables for Guatemala 1990-1995, Annex E; certificate issued by Ramiro R. Velásquez of August 31, 1998, Annex F; affidavit by María Elizabeth Chinchilla of August 31, 1998, Annex G; report on the death of Manuel de Jesús González López, Annex H; and affidavit by Mark Martel of August 31, 1998, Annex I. 8 Cf. Copy of birth certificate of William Otilio González Rivera. 9 Cf. Copy of identity card of Bertha Violeta Flores Gómez; copy of birth certificate of Julio Salomón Gómez Flores; copy of identity card of Blanca Esperanza Ayala de la Cruz; copy of identity card of Petronilo Gómez Chávez; copy of identity card of Lidia Marisa Gómez Ayala; copy of identity card of Deifin Olivia Gómez Ayala; copy of identity card of Ingrid Elizabeth Gómez Ayala; copy of identity card of Danilo