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Foreword by Thomas Buergenthal
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xv
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Preface to the Second Edition
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xvii
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Preface
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xxi
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Acknowledgments
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xxv
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Table of Cases
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xxvii
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Table of Articles of the American Convention on Human Rights
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xliii
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Table of Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
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xlv
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Table of Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights
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xlvii
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Table of Other Legal Instruments and Documents
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xlix
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1 Introduction
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1
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The Inter-American Human Rights System
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2
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A Concise History of the Inter-American Court
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6
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Composition of the Court
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8
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Overview of Jurisdiction
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10
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The Court's Interpretation of the American Convention
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12
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An Illustrative Contentious Case
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14
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Facts
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14
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Procedures before the Commission
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15
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Jurisdiction of the Court
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15
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Initial Procedures before the Court
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15
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Provisional Measures
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16
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Partial Acceptance of International Responsibility
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16
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Proceedings on the Merits
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16
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Decision on the Merits
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16
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Reparations
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17
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State Compliance
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17
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Past Procedural Advances Made by the Court and the Commission
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17
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More Recent Procedural Changes
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19
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Limitations Influencing the Effectiveness of the Inter-American System
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24
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Inadequate Funding of the Court and the Commission
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24
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Lack of Universality
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26
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Domestic Implementation
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27
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Failure of the Political Organs to Exert Political Pressure on States
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28
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Quality Control of Judges Elected to the Court
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30
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Continuting Proposals to Alter the Inter-American System
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32
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Conclusion
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34
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Part I The Advisory Jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court
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2 Advisory Practice and Procedure
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37
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Character and Scope of the Inter-American Court's Advisory Jurisdiction
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38
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae (Standing)
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40
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Standing of Member States
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41
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Standing of OAS Organs
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42
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Jurisdiction Ratione Materiae (Subject Matter Jurisdiction)
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46
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Jurisdiction to Issue Advisory Opinions Interpreting the American Convention
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47
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Interpretation of the Substantive Provisions of the American Convention
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48
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Interpretation of the Procedural Provisions of the American Convention
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52
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Jurisdiction to Issue Advisory Opinions Interpreting Other Treaties
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54
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Other Inter-American Treaties
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56
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Nonregional Treaties
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57
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Jurisdiction to Issue Advisory Opinions on the Compatibility of Domestic Laws of a Member State
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57
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Jurisdiction Ratione Temporis Following the Attempted Withdrawal of a Request for an Advisory Opinion
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59
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Advisory Jurisdiction Subject to the Court's Discretion
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59
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Discretion to Exercise Advisory Jurisdiction over a Case in Dispute between Two States or between a State and an International Organization
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62
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Discretion to Exercise Advisory Jurisdiction over a Dispute that is before Another International Body
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65
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Court Procedures Applicable to an Advisory Opinion Request
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66
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Requirements of the Request
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68
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Admissibility
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69
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Notification of the Submission
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70
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Written Proceedings
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71
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Amicus Briefs
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71
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Preliminary Objections to an Advisory Request
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73
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Oral Proceedings
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74
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Content, Delivery, and Publication of Advisory Opinions
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76
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Domestic and Institutional Implementation of the Court's Advisory Opinions
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77
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Conclusion
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80
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Part II The Contentious Jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
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3 Proceedings before the Inter-American Commission
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83
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Initial Processing of Petitions
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85
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Technical Informational Requirements
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87
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Six-Month Rule
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88
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Petition Not Substantially the Same as One Previously Studied or Pending before Another International Body
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89
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Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies
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92
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Domestic Remedies Must Be Available, Adequate, Appropriate, and Effective
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94
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Exceptions to the Exhaustion of Domestic Remedies
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97
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Decision on Admissibility
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98
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Fact-Finding before the Commission
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101
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Hearings before the Commission Are Not Required
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101
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On-Site Investigations in the State Are Not Required
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103
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Presumption of the Truth of the Allegations in the Petition
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105
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Friendly Settlement
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106
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Withdrawal and Archiving of Petitions and Cases
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109
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Reporting Requirements
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110
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The Commission's Decision to Submit a Case to the Court
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111
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Deadline for Submission of a Case to the Court
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112
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Extension of the Time Period for Submission of a Case
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114
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Interstate Cases
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116
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4 Jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court
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117
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Compétence de la compétence
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117
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Scope of the Jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court
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119
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Manner in which a State May Accept the Jurisdiction of the Inter-American Court
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120
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Jurisdiction Ratione Materiae
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122
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The “Fourth Instance Formula”
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125
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Manifestly Groundless Petitions
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128
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State Reservations Modifying the Ratione Materiae of the Convention
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128
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae
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130
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae: Passive Legitimation
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130
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae: Active Legitimation
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131
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae: Standing to File a Complaint with the Commission
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131
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae to Consider Petitions Filed by Any Person or Group of Persons
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132
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae to Consider Concrete Cases
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133
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae to Consider Cases in which the Victim Is an Individual or Shareholder in a Business Entity
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135
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Jurisdiction Ratione Personae to Consider State-Filed Complaints
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136
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Jurisdiction Ratione Temporis
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137
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Lack of Jurisdiction Ratione Temporis If the Violation Took Place before the State Accepted the Jurisdiction of the Court
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138
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Jurisdiction Ratione Temporis over Continuing Violations
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138
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Forced Disappearance as a Continuing Violation
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139
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The Failure to Investigate, Prosecute, and Punish May Constitute a Continuing Violation
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139
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Violation of Property Rights May be a Continuing Violation
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141
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Continuing Violations of Other Treaties
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141
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State Acceptance of Jurisdiction with a Temporal Condition
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142
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Jurisdiction Ratione Temporis over States that Denounce the Convention
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143
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Jurisdiction Ratione Temporis over States that Attempt to Withdraw Acceptance of the Jurisdiction of the Court
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145
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Jurisdiction Ratione Loci
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146
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Jurisdiction Ratione Loci Not Limited to a State's Physical Territory
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147
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Limitation of Jurisdiction Ratione Loci Must Be Expressly Permitted by Treaty
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148
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5 Proceedings on the Merits: Fact-Finding and Attribution of State Responsibility
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150
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The Scope of the Court's Fact-Finding Powers
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151
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Submission of Evidence
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152
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The Court's Authority to Admit Evidence on Its Own Motion
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153
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Expert Witnesses
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154
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Declarants
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156
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Amicus Curiae
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158
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Oral Proceedings
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159
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Structure of Hearings
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161
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Testimonial Evidence
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163
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Objections to Witnesses and Alleged Victims
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164
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Documentary Evidence
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165
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Demonstrative Evidence
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168
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Presumptions and Circumstantial Evidence
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168
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Circumstantial Evidence
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168
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Presumptions
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169
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Burden of Proof
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171
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Standard of Proof
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173
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Judicial Notice
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174
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Written Closing Arguments
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175
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Discontinuance, Acquiescence, and Friendly Settlement
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175
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Deliberations and Judgment
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178
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Interpretation of Judgment
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179
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Revision of Judgment on the Basis of Newly Discovered Facts or Fraudulent Evidence
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181
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Attribution of State Responsibility
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182
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Failure to Investigate and Punish Violations by Persons Not Acting on Behalf of the State
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184
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6 Victim Reparations
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188
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Scope of the Inter-American Court's Authority to Order Reparations
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189
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The Goal of Full Restitution (restitutio in integrum)
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190
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The Injured Party
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193
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Types of Reparations Ordered by the Inter-American Court
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196
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Restitution
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196
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Restoration of Liberty to Persons Who Were Illegally Detained
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197
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The Return of Illegally Seized Property
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197
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Protection for Displaced Victims to Return to Their Homes
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198
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Reinstatement of Employment
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198
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Expungement of Public Records
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199
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Return, Demarcation, and Award of Title to the Ancestral Lands of Indigenous Communities
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201
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Miscellaneous Measures of Restitution to Restore the Status Quo Ante
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201
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Rehabilitation
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202
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Satisfaction
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204
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Public Act to Acknowledge Responsibility
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204
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State Apology
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205
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Publication or Dissemination of the Judgment of the Inter-American Court
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205
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Measures to Commemorate the Victims or the Events
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206
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Locating and Identifying the Victims
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207
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Educational Expenses and Training
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208
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Refrain from Execution
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208
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Community-Based Reparations
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209
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Miscellaneous Measures of Satisfaction
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212
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Guarantees of Nonrepetition
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212
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Capacity Building
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212
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Legislative Reform
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214
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Amend, Annul, or Repeal Incompatible Domestic Laws
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214
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Declaration that Domestic Law Lacks Legal Effect
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217
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Authority to Rule after the State Accepts International Responsibility
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219
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No Ruling If the Domestic Law Is No Longer in Effect
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220
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Court Order to Annul or Execute a Domestic Judgment or Ruling
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220
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Adopting Other Measures to Guarantee the Nonrepetition of Violations
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222
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Obligation to Investigate, Prosecute, and Punish
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223
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Investigation
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224
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Prosecution and Punishment
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226
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Judgment per se a Form of Reparations
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228
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Compensation
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229
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Pecuniary Damages
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229
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Loss of Earnings and Benefits
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230
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Beneficiaries of Lost Earnings of Deceased Victims
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233
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Consequential Damages
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234
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Nonpecuniary Damages
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235
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Determination of Amount of Nonpecuniary Damages
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238
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Beneficiaries of Deceased or Disappeared Victim's Nonpecuniary Damages
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239
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Costs and Expenses
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240
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Attorneys Fees
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241
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Costs and Expenses Based in Equity
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243
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Terms of Payment
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243
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Legal Assistance Fund
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244
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No Reparations for Injury to the Victim's Life Plan
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245
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Reparations Agreements between States and Victims
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246
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Method of Compliance
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247
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7 Provisional Measures
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251
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Statutory Authority
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253
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Statutory Requirements
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257
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Extreme Gravity
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257
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Urgency
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258
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Irreparable Damage
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259
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Irreparable Damage to Persons
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263
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Prima Facie Situation
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265
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Inherent Authority to Order Provisional Measures
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267
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Precautionary Measures Ordered by the Commission
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268
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Entities Authorized to Request Provisional Measures
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269
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Temporal Jurisdiction to Order Provisional Measures
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270
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Expedited Procedures
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272
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The President's Adoption of Urgent Measures When the Court Is Not in Session
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272
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Plenary Court's Consideration of Provisional Measures Requests
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273
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Discretion to Order Provisional Measures
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274
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Court Orders
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275
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Beneficiaries of Provisional Measures
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276
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Witnesses before Domestic and Inter-American Authorities
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276
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Human Rights Advocates and Organizations
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278
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Persons Deprived of Their Freedom
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279
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Persons on Death Row
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280
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Persons Dislocated during Internal Armed Conflicts
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281
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Indigenous Communities
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282
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Means of Protection
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283
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Maintenance of Provisional Measures
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285
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Lifting (Terminating) Provisional Measures
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287
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Binding Nature of Provisional Measures
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291
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Monitoring Provisional Measures
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293
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Domestic Implementation of Provisional Measures
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294
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Conclusion
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297
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8 State Compliance with Court-Ordered Reparations
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299
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Conventionality Control
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300
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Monitoring State Compliance with Judgments
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303
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State Acceptance of International Responsibility
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306
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Voluntary Apology and Dissemination of the Truth
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307
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Anticipatory Remedial State Action
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308
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Implementation of Inter-American Court Orders to Pay Compensatory Damages
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309
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Prior Payment Authorized by States
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310
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Implementation of Measures of Restitution
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311
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Implementation of Measures of Rehabilitation
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314
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Implementation of Measures of Satisfaction
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315
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Implementation of Measures of Nonrepetition
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320
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Capacitation Programs
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320
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Legislative Reform
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321
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Annul or Execute Domestic Court Rulings
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325
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Implementation of Orders to Investigate, Prosecute, and Punish
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325
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Alternative Forms of Reparations
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328
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Efforts to Improve Compliance with Court Orders
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330
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Conclusion
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334
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Appendix 1: American Convention on Human Rights
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335
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Appendix 2: Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
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361
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Bibliography
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389
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Index
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401
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