of article 80 of the Criminal Code was “arbitrary.” 400 On September 27, 2012, the Second
Chamber of the Federal Criminal Cassation Chamber declared that the special remedy filed
by the Prosecutor General of the Nation was inadmissible. Therefore, on October 5, 2012,
the Prosecutor General filed a remedy of complaint before the Supreme Court of Justice of
the Nation. 401 It has also been indicated that, at the date of this Judgment, the said remedy
had not yet been resolved; thus, the decision of the Second Chamber of the Federal
Criminal Cassation Chamber of August 21, 2012, is still not final.
327. Based on the human rights violations declared in this case, particularly, those related
to the imposing of life sentences on César Alberto Mendoza, Claudio David Núñez and Lucas
Matías Mendoza and the denial of the appeal in cassation after their conviction (supra para.
256), the Court decided that the State must ensure that the sentences of life imprisonment
and reclusion for life are never again imposed on César Alberto Mendoza, Claudio David
Núñez and Lucas Matías Mendoza, or on any other person for crimes committed while
minors. Likewise, Argentina must guarantee that anyone currently serving such sentences
for crimes committed while they were minors may obtain a review of the sentence adapted
to the standards described in this Judgment (supra paras. 240 to 261). The foregoing in
order to avoid the need for cases such as this one being lodged before the organs of the
inter-American system for the protection of human rights and, instead, that they can be
decided by the corresponding State organs.
B.3.3. Right to appeal the judgment
B.3.3.1. Arguments of the Commission and pleadings of the parties
328. The Commission acknowledged the impact of the Casal judgment delivered by the
Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation as regards the scope of the appeal in cassation in
relation to Article 8(2)(h) of the American Convention. However, it indicated that this
judgment is not binding on the Argentine judges. Therefore, it asked the Court to “order the
legislative and any other type of measures to ensure effective compliance with [… the said]
right […].” The representative indicated that the Casal judgment only had a “symbolic
impact” and that the State had not yet amended the legal framework that prevented the
comprehensive review of sentences. Consequently, she asked for “the enactment of a
national framework law that would set minimum standards for the entire country, so that
the inhabitants may enjoy an equal degree of legislative protection with regard to the right
to this remedy. She also asked the Court to “order the necessary measures so that César
Alberto Mendoza, Claudio David Núñez, Lucas Matías Mendoza and Saúl Cristian Roldán
Cajal may file an appeal to obtain a broad review of the convictions, in compliance with
Article 8(2)(h) of the American Convention,” pursuant to the international standards for
juvenile criminal justice.
329. The State indicated that, since 2005, a full review of the judgment has been
possible, because the Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation decided this in the Casal
judgment and that, according to these standards, “the appeal must truly allow the higher
court to consider the merits of the dispute, examine the alleged facts, the proposed
defense, the evidence provided, its assessment, and the laws cited and their application.”
The State also indicated that it was inaccurate to claim that the Casal judgment was not
400
Cf. Special federal appeal submitted by the Prosecutor General of the Nation on September 4, 2012,
against the decision of the Federal Criminal Cassation Chamber of August 21, 2012 (file of annexes to the
representative’s final written arguments, folios 8365 and 8374).
401
Cf. Remedy of complaint filed by the Prosecutor General of the Nation before the Supreme Court of Justice
of the Nation on October 5, 2012 (merits file, tome III, folio 2354).
104