This is a case about the lack of independence of the judiciary in Venezuela under Hugo Chávez’s regime. Ana María Ruggeri Cova, Perkins Rocha Contreras, and Juan Carlos Apitz Barbera were removed from their positions as judges of the First Court of Administrative Disputes on October 30, 2003, on the grounds that they had committed an inexcusable judicial error. The victims believed their removal was contrary to the principle of judicial independence and undermined the right of judges to decide freely in accordance with the law. This case gave the Court the chance to explore in depth the standards of independence and impartiality applicable to the national judiciary. The Court found that the State violated the American Convention on Human Rights.
Case Summary: Apitz Barbera et al. ("First Court of Administrative Disputes") v. Venezuela, Case Summary
Image 1: TUBS, CC BY-SA 3.0
Image 2: Agência Brasil, CC BY 3.0 br
Image 3: Guillermo Ramos Flamerich, CC BY-SA 3.0
