39 impecunious victims so that they may file an action for direct reparation. Regarding the problems of congestion and delay, it is apparent from the report of the Superior Council of the Judicature that, on average, approximately 13 years are required to reach a final decision in cases in the administrative jurisdiction. The action for direct reparation in the administrative jurisdiction fulfils an important democratic function in Colombian society, in that it is a kind of collective insurance for damage, focused on financial compensation, since, at times, this can be very important to mitigate the lack of justice in human rights violations; however, that does not make it an appropriate mechanism to repair serious human rights violations as understood by international case law and legal doctrine. In Colombia, conciliation is possible in the administrative jurisdiction, but if a simple declaration of the State’s extra-contractual responsibility as satisfaction for the victims is already inadequate as a judicial remedy according to human rights standards, a conciliation hearing and the symbolic value of a declaration of responsibility arising from this is even less adequate. The criminal jurisdiction is the appropriate instrument to guarantee integral reparation in Colombia, including the obligation to investigate and sanction those responsible in cases of human rights violations, complying with the guarantee of non-repetition. If recourse is had to the administrative jurisdiction alone, there is a possibility of achieving the “perverse effect of a sort of standardization of the costs of human rights violations.” Although there could be some complementarity between an international human rights court and the administrative jurisdiction, in that a pecuniary reparation granted to a victim in the domestic sphere could be taken into account by the international court in order to avoid double compensation, this complementarity does not convert the action for reparation “into an appropriate action for integral reparation of serious human rights violations” and, thus, “would not constitute a judicial remedy that needs to be exhausted.” e) Expert witness proposed by the State 1. Hernando Torres Corredor, lawyer A constitutional response to shortcomings in the effectiveness of the administration of justice was promulgated in 1991. Thus, the 1991 Constitution gave rise to “either transformations, or the creation of new institutions.” This Constitution integrates domestic law and international law. The changes made were not merely of a juridical and structural nature, but also in relation to the strategies of the State mechanisms. Thus, the Colombian Constitutional Court, the Superior Council of the Judicature and the Prosecutor General’s Office were created; in addition, the Ombudsman’s Office was improved, and the Attorney General’s Office transformed. The new Constitution allowed a new Code of Criminal Procedure to be drafted and, since then, a new path has been traced which, over the past 15 years has enabled the country to pass from an “inquisitorial system to a mixed accusatory [...] system, [and finally] to a purely accusatory [...] system.” The administrative jurisdiction is collective and composed of a Council of State which has three chambers: a general chamber, an administrative chamber, and a