also has the overall right to due process applicable in criminal matters.” 71 This indicates that the
guarantees of Article 8(2) of the Convention are not exclusive to criminal proceedings, but can be
applied to proceedings of a punitive nature. Therefore, in each case it is necessary to determine
the minimum guarantees that apply to a given non-criminal punitive process, according to its
nature and scope. 72
67. In the case sub judice, after the strike was declared illegal, the First Chamber of the Labor
and Social Welfare Appeals Court, in a ruling of May 13, 1996, set a term of twenty days for the
Judiciary to apply Article 244 of the Labor Code. This article states that when a strike is declared
illegal and the workers carry it out, the court must grant the employer a period of twenty days
during which, without any liability on its part, it may terminate the employment contracts of
workers who strike. The Chamber expressly warned, with respect to the list of employees who
participated in the strike, that this “must be established administratively in a precise manner, after
a review of the lists that were provided as evidence, since an examination of these reveals certain
inaccuracies that could negatively affect the rights of workers who did not suspend work and are
included in the list.” 73
68. The Supreme Court of Justice, as the employer of the Judiciary workers, issued an order on
September 1, 1999, in which it decided to immediately dismiss 404 employees, including the
alleged victims in this case. 74 Among the reasons given to justify this decision, the Supreme Court
took into account that: “a) the attitude adopted by the employees who went on strike prevented
the population from exercising the right and access to justice […]; b) the harm caused to justice
because of the above-mentioned unlawful strike was a blow to the rule of law; and c) the
employees who participated in the unlawful strike put private interests above public ones, with
the main party affected being the people of Guatemala […].” 75 Owing to certain inconsistencies in
the list of dismissed employees, the Supreme Court had to issue a second ruling on September 6,
1999. 76
69.
Thus, the alleged victims were dismissed without any prior procedure, solely in application
of an order that attributed unlawful conduct to them and established dismissal as a consequence.
Thus, the dismissal was the sanction for having participated in a strike declared illegal, and
therefore the individuals who were subject to this sanction of dismissal were entitled to due
process guarantees in the disciplinary processes, although their scope, content or intensity might
vary. The Court therefore considers that the violations alleged in this case should also be analyzed
in light of the guarantees established in Article 8(1) and 8(2)(b) and (c), namely, the right to be
heard, the right to be notified in advance and in detail of the accusation made and the right to
have adequate time and means to prepare a defense. In the Court’s opinion, these guarantees
are applicable to the specific case.
objection, merits, reparations and costs. Judgment of May 3, 2016. Series C No. 311, Case of Moya Solís v. Peru,
supra and Case of Cuya Lavy et al. v. Peru, supra.
71
152.
Case of the Constitutional Court v. Peru, supra, para. 70, and Case of Cuya Lavy et al. v. Peru, supra, para.
72
Cf. Case of Maldonado Ordóñez v. Guatemala, supra, para. 75, and Case of Cuya Lavy et al. v. Peru, supra,
para. 152.
73
Ruling of the First Chamber of the Labor and Social Welfare Appeals Court in the context of Collective Dispute
No. 730-94 of May 13, 1996 (evidence file, folios 60 and 61).
74
Cf. Ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice of September 1, 1999 (evidence file, folios 3583 to 3604).
75
Ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice of September 1, 1999 (evidence file, folio 3585).
76
Cf. Ruling of the Supreme Court of Justice of September 6, 1999 (evidence file, folios 358 to 360).
22