4 11. The application for the instant case was filed with the Court on March 21, 1996. The Commission designated Mr. Oscar Luján-Fappiano and Mr. Robert Goldman as its delegates; Mr. David J. Padilla and Ms. Elizabeth H. Abi-Mershed as its attorneys; and Mr. Alejandro Ponce-Villacís, Mr. William Clark Harrell, Mr. Richard Wilson and Ms. Karen Musalo as assistants. In keeping with Article 22.2 of the Rules of Procedure in effect at that time, the Commission advised that the persons assisting the delegates were the attorneys retained by the victims’ next of kin. On January 6, 1997, the Commission advised the Court that Ms. Karen Musalo would no longer be participating in the case. 12. The Secretariat of the Court (hereinafter "the Secretariat") gave the State notice of the application and its attachments on April 12, 1996, once they had been reviewed by the President of the Court (hereinafter "the President"). On May 7 of that year, Ecuador requested a two-month extension to file preliminary objections and its counter-memorial, inasmuch as the initial notification of the application was in English. The President extended by two months the deadlines Ecuador had been given to file preliminary objections and its answer to the application. 13. On May 9, 1996, the State designated Ambassador Mauricio Pérez-Martínez as its agent and, on May 29 of that year, designated Mr. Manuel Badillo G. as alternate agent. On April 3, 1997, Ecuador advised that Counsel Laura Donoso de León had been designated agent to replace Ambassador Pérez-Martínez. 14. On September 2, 1996, Ecuador submitted to the Court a request for another extension to file its answer to the application and preliminary objections. On instructions from the President, the Secretariat informed the State that the deadline for filing preliminary objections could not be extended, since it had expired on July 12, 1996; the deadline for filing the answer to the application was extended by one month. 15. On October 1, 1996, Ecuador submitted its answer to the application, wherein it requested that the application be dismissed as inadmissible and that the case be closed. 16. On October 17, informed the State and later than November 1 written proceedings to Procedure then in force. 1996, on instructions from the President, the Secretariat the Commission that they were to advise the Court, by no of that year, whether they considered other steps in the be necessary, pursuant to Article 29.2 of the Rules of 17. On October 31, 1996, the Commission and the State informed the Court that they considered that other steps in the written proceedings were necessary. For that reason, the President set December 11, 1996, as the deadline for the Commission to file its additional pleadings. He also determined that the State was to file its rejoinder within one month of the date on which the Commission’s additional pleadings were transmitted to it. 18. On December 10, 1996, the Commission requested that the Court extend the deadline for filing its additional pleadings until January 6, 1997, a request that the President granted.