RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL - Organization of American States

Transcription

RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL
CANDIDATO DE COLOMBIA A LA COMISIÓN
INTERAMERICANA DE DERECHOS HUMANOS
– CIDH-.
PERIODO 2014 - 2017
CURRICULUM
VITAE
RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL - E-mail: [email protected]
-CIDH-
Abogado de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá. Doctor en Derecho Administrativo de la
Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Magistrado de la Corte Constitucional durante el período
comprendido entre 2001 y 2009, Presidente de la misma Corporación entre febrero de 2007 y
febrero de 2008. Su gestión como magistrado ha estado estrechamente vinculada a la defensa y
protección de los derechos humanos, ya que una de las funciones de la Jurisdicción Constitucional
en Colombia es la de garantizar su protección inmediata, a la luz de la Constitución Política y los
tratados internacionales sobre derechos humanos de los que el Estado colombiano es parte.
Director General del Fondo Rotatorio del Ministerio de Justicia entre 1992 y 1993. Abogado
consultor y apoderado judicial durante más de dieciséis años, de distintas empresas privadas y
entidades del Estado. Profesor universitario de Derecho Administrativo y autor de distintos textos
sobre la materia.
Desde enero de 2010, es miembro de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (órgano
principal del Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos), se ha desempeñado como Relator
de la CIDH para México, Costa Rica y República Dominicana desde el 2010 al 2011. Actualmente,
es Relator de la CIDH para México, Argentina y Bolivia desde el 2012 y Relator de la CIDH sobre los
derechos de las personas privadas de la libertad desde el 2010.
FORMACIÓN ACADÉMICA
Estudios superiores:
Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá
Título obtenido: Abogado 1983
Doctorado:
Doctor en Derecho Administrativo
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
1984-1986
Tesis Doctoral: Calificación Cum Laude
Otros Estudios:
Centro de Estudios Constitucionales
“El Constitucionalismo Iberoamericano”
Madrid, España 1985
Universidad Complutense de Madrid, cursos de:
“Derecho Procesal Administrativo”
“Origen y Evolución del Constitucionalismo”
“Introducción al Derecho Agrario”
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Sociedad de Altos Estudios Internacionales de España
“Curso de Estudios Internacionales”
Madrid, España 1984 y 1985
EXPERIENCIA PROFESIONAL
Comisión Interamericana de
Derechos Humanos
Organización de Estados Americanos
COMISIONADO
2010 - actual
Comisión Interamericana de
Derechos Humanos
Organización de Estados Americanos
SEGUNDO VICEPRESIDENTE
2011
Relatoría de la Comisión Interamericana
de Derechos Humanos sobre los derechos
de las personas privadas de la libertad
RELATOR
2010 - actual
de Derechos Humanos para México,
Costa Rica y República Dominicana.
RELATOR
2010 - 2011
de Derechos Humanos para México,
Argentina y Bolivia.
RELATOR
2012 - actual
Corte Constitucional colombiana
MAGISTRADO
2001 - 2009
PRESIDENTE
02/09/2007 - 02/09/2008
Fondo Rotatorio del Ministerio de
Justicia.
DIRECTOR GENERAL
1992 - 1993
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Consultor y apoderado judicial en las áreas de Derecho Administrativo, Constitucional,
Privado y Procesal de empresas privadas y entidades del sector público, en procesos
ante el Consejo de Estado, la Corte Suprema de Justicia, la Corte Constitucional y demás
órganos jurisdiccionales.
1983 - 2000
2009 - actual
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Consultor internacional del Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID), en Proyectos de
Reformas Institucionales para América Latina.
1999
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Consultor de la Agencia de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados en los desarrollos
normativos para la restitución de tierras de la población afectada por el desplazamiento.
2009
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Consultor de la Agencia de las Naciones Unidas para los Refugiados en el diseño de
mecanismos alternativos de solución de conflictos que faciliten y agilicen la restitución
de bienes inmuebles a la población víctima de despojo.
2009
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Ha participado en procesos de privatización de empresas y actividades en las áreas de
los servicios públicos domiciliarios y del sector eléctrico.
CÁTEDRA UNIVERSITARIA
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Facultad de Derecho
Bogotá
Derecho Administrativo
1987 - 1991
Universidad de la Sabana
Facultad de Derecho
Bogotá
1986 - 2000
Universidad Militar
Nueva Granada
Facultad de Derecho
Bogotá
1989 y 1991
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Universidad del Rosario
Bogotá
Postgrado de Derecho Administrativo
2002 - 2004
Universidad Sergio Arboleda
Bogotá
2005 - 2006
Universidad Simón Bolívar
Barranquilla
2002 - 2007
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PUBLICACIONES
A. Libros
El Contrato de Leasing Financiero
Bogotá. Editorial Temis, 1984
La Responsabilidad Contractual de la Administración Pública
Bogotá. Editorial Temis, 1988
La Conciliación en el Proceso Contencioso Administrativo. La Protección Jurídica del Ciudadano.
Tomo III. Estudio en Homenaje al Profesor Jesús González Pérez. Madrid, España, Editorial
Civitas, S.A., 1993
El Pensamiento Constitucional de Bolívar
Bogotá. Ediciones Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, 1996
Teoría General de los Contratos de la Administración Pública
Bogotá, Editorial Legis 1999
La Transformación Jurídica del Contrato Administrativo en el Derecho Colombiano. Tomo IV.
Bogotá, Ediciones Jurídicas Gustavo Ibáñez 2005
B. Revistas Universitarias
El Principio General de la Buena Fe en los Contratos Administrativos
Bogotá. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Revista Universitas, Junio de 1986
Aspectos Constitucionales de la Reforma Urbana
Bogotá, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Revista Universitas, 1989
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Consideraciones en torno a la creación de una Corte Constitucional
Bogotá. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Revista Universitas, 1989
El Concepto de los Contratos de la Administración Pública
Bogotá. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Revista Universitas. Junio de 1992
CURSOS, SEMINARIOS Y CONFERENCIAS
Universidad de la Sabana - Forum
Diplomado en Contratación Administrativa
Director Académico
Bogotá, 1999 y 2000
Diplomado en Administración Pública
Conferencista
Bogotá, 1998
Conferencista
Bogotá, 1998, 1999 y 2000
Instituto Nacional de Seguros
El Procedimiento de Selección de los Contratistas
Conferencista
Bogotá, 1988
Universidad Libre, Seccional Pereira
Conferencista
Bogotá, 2000
Tercer Encuentro de la Justicia Constitucional
Conferencista
Corte Constitucional
Bogotá, 2005
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Seminario Internacional “La Justicia Constitucional en el Siglo XXI”
Conferencista
Bogotá, 2006
V Conferencia Iberoamericana de Justicia Constitucional
Conferencista
Santiago de Chile, 2006
Jornadas Internacionales de Derecho Constitucional
Conferencista
Quito, Ecuador 2006
Foro Toledo de la Paz
Conferencista
X Seminario Internacional “Justicia Constitucional en el Siglo XXI”
Conferencista
Sucre, Bolivia 2007
VI Conferencia Iberoamericana de Justicia Constitucional
Presidente, Organizador y Conferencista
Cartagena, 2007
IV Encuentro de la Jurisdicción Constitucional
Conferencista
Cartagena, 2008
XVI Encuentro de Presidentes y Magistrados de Tribunales Constitucionales y Salas
Constitucionales de América Latina.
Conferencista
Cartagena, 2009
I Jornadas de Investigación del Doctorado en Ciencias Jurídicas de la Facultad de Ciencias
Jurídicas de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Conferencista
Bogotá, 2009
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Tercer Simposio Internacional Penitenciario y Derechos Humanos del Observatorio Piloto de
Derechos Humanos en Centros de Reclusión.
Conferencista
Universidad San Buenaventura
Medellín, 2010
II Congreso de Derechos Humanos de la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Chile. “El
Derecho penitenciario frente a los Derechos Humanos: La experiencia comparada y el caso de
Chile”.
Conferencista
Universidad de Chile
VI Encuentro de la Jurisdicción Constitucional “Diálogos con la Nación”
Conferencista
Bogotá, 2010
Seminario "Análisis de la situación carcelaria, la política criminal y respuestas judiciales a dicha
situación en América Latina".
Universidad de los Andes
Conferencista
Bogotá, 2010
Panel de expertos sobre el Sistema Interamericano de Promoción y Protección de los Derechos
Humanos.
Fundación Global Democracia y Desarrollo
Conferencista
Santo Domingo, República Dominicana, 2011
Conferencia Magistral “El derecho de consulta previa a las comunidades étnicas e indígenas en
el derecho constitucional colombiano y en la jurisprudencia del sistema interamericano”.
Conferencista
Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas de la Universidad Autónoma Nacional de México
México D.F, 2011
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Conferencia Magistral “El derecho de consulta previa a las comunidades étnicas e indígenas en
el derecho constitucional colombiano y en la jurisprudencia del sistema interamericano”.
Conferencista
Comisión Nacional de Derechos Humanos
Oaxaca, México, 2011
Congreso Internacional “20 años de la Constitución Política de Colombia”
Conferencista
Bogotá, 2011
Seminario Internacional de Derecho Constitucional “20 años de la Constitución Política de
Colombia”
Conferencista
Alcaldía Mayor de Bogotá
Bogotá, 2011
Simposio Internacional Instituto Nacional Penitenciario y Carcelario INPEC.
Conferencista
Cartagena, 2012
Conferencia sobre Consulta Previa a Comunidades Indígenas.
Conferencista
Riohacha, 2012
Foro de Fortalecimiento del Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos.
Conferencista
Bogotá, 2012
Foro de Fortalecimiento del Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos.
Conferencista
México D.F, 2012
CONCURSOS Y DISTINCIONES
Ganador del concurso “Programa Centenario de la Constitución” promovido por el Banco de la
República
Beca José María Samper 1984
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Tribunal Superior del Distrito Judicial de Barranquilla
Condecoración a su “Invaluable aporte a la consolidación de la Institucionalidad Colombiana”
Junio de 2004
Departamento del Magdalena. Gobernación
Resolución No.197 del 10 de Junio de 2005
Distinción “Orden Tayrona en el Gran de Gran Cruz José Eduardo Gnecco Correa”
Club de Abogados
“Orden Grado Gran Cruz”
Marzo de 2006
Academia Colombiana de la Abogacía
“Título de Académico”
Marzo de 2006
Distrito Turístico, Cultural e Histórico de Santa Marta
Decreto No.158 del 8 de Junio de 2007
Medalla “Distinción Honra al Mérito Distrital”
Resolución No.469 del 8 de Junio de 2007
Distinción “Orden Tayrona en Grado de Gran Cruz de Oro Antonio Escobar Camargo”
“Orden Rodrigo Noguera Laborde al Mérito Universitario”
Junio de 2007
Alcaldía de Cartagena de Indias
Decreto No. OP 26 de 2007
“Medalla Cívica de Cartagena de Indias en el grado de Gran Oficial”
Departamento de Bolívar. Gobernación
Decreto No.405 de 2007
Condecoración “Orden Rafael Núñez en el grado de Gran Oficial”
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Gobernación del Huila
Condecoración “José Eustasio Rivera”
Noviembre de 2007
Consejo Superior de la Judicatura
Condecoración “José Ignacio de Márquez” al mérito judicial, otorgada por la Sala
Administrativa del Consejo Superior de la Judicatura
Diciembre de 2007
Resolución No. 098 del 31 de Enero de 2008
Distinción “Orden Tayrona en el Grado Cruz José Benito Vives de Andreis”
Policía Nacional
“Orden al Buen Ciudadano”
Abril de 2008
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GESTIÓN DEL MAGISTRADO RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL EN LA CORTE CONSTITUCIONAL
Dentro de las decisiones de la Corte Constitucional en las que participó como ponente el
Magistrado Rodrigo Escobar Gil o presentó salvamento de voto, se pueden destacar las
siguientes:
1. Sentencia C-774 de 2001. De la detención preventiva. Al pronunciarse sobre la institución
penal de la detención preventiva, la Corte hizo una enérgica defensa de la libertad personal y
de la presunción de inocencia. En la mencionada sentencia se estableció de manera categórica,
que la detención preventiva, como medida cautelar, tiene una naturaleza excepcional, en tanto
constituye una limitación del derecho a la libertad personal del sindicado, de tal manera que
cuando sea posible optar por otro tipo de medida menos gravosa y que cumpla los mismos
fines, debe acudirse a ella.
2. Sentencia C-836 de 2001. La doctrina probable. Al pronunciarse sobre la figura legal de la
“doctrina probable”, la Corte hizo un muy significativo avance hacia la afirmación del carácter
vinculante de la jurisprudencia en todos los ámbitos de la jurisdicción, lo que significa que los
jueces deben tenerla en cuenta y aplicarla cuando haya lugar a ello.
3. Sentencia SU-1185 de 2001. Procedencia de la acción de tutela contra providencias
judiciales por defectos de interpretación. En esta sentencia, la Corte fijó límites a los
principios de autonomía e independencia judicial en materia de interpretación judicial,
aclarando que la autonomía y libertad que se le reconoce a las autoridades judiciales para
interpretar y aplicar los textos jurídicos, no puede comprender, en ningún caso, aquellas
manifestaciones de autoridad que supongan un desconocimiento de los derechos
fundamentales de las personas.
4. Sentencia C-426 de 2002. La doctrina del derecho viviente. El juicio de inconstitucionalidad
respecto de la interpretación de las normas jurídicas. Este pronunciamiento reviste una
importancia trascendental en el campo del control abstracto de constitucionalidad, en la
medida en que incorpora la teoría del derecho viviente a dicho control. En el fallo la Corte dejó
establecido que es posible someter al juicio de inconstitucionalidad una norma conforme ésta
viene siendo interpretada por los jueces, en tanto que el texto que surge de la interpretación
constituye el desarrollo práctico de la medida y comporta la manera como ésta viene siendo
aplicada en la realidad.
5. Sentencia T-1025 de 2002. Asignación de género en el caso de menores que sufren de
hermafroditismo y de otros estados intersexuales. A través del mencionado fallo se avanzó en
el reconocimiento del consentimiento asistido, es decir, el consentimiento que otorgan los
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padres en los casos de definición sexual de menores por hermafroditismo y otros estados
intersexuales.
Con el fallo, se hizo compatible el consentimiento informado del menor, que es expresión de
los derechos fundamentales al libre desarrollo de la personalidad, a la integridad personal y a
la dignidad humana, con el apoyo que necesariamente deben brindar los padres cuando se
trata de decidir sobre la asignación de género de un menor que se encuentra en esa situación.
6. Sentencia T-520 de 2003. Medidas de protección especial para las personas secuestradas y
sus familias frente al incumplimiento de obligaciones mercantiles. Mediante dicho
pronunciamiento, la Corte amplió el régimen de protección de los secuestrados y sus familias.
Aclaró que, aun cuando el ordenamiento protege las familias de los trabajadores que han sido
secuestrados, exigiendo al empleador el cumplimiento de un deber de solidaridad, la
protección resulta insuficiente pues no se extiende a otros riesgos que enfrentan distintos a los
propiamente laborales, como aquellos derivados del incumplimiento de obligaciones
comerciales y mercantiles. Por eso, se definió en el fallo que las obligaciones que se vencen
durante el tiempo del secuestro no son exigibles, por lo que quienes han sido privados de la
libertad no incurren en mora ni pueden ser sujetos de ejecuciones mientras permanecen en
cautiverio.
7. Sentencia C-1040 de 2005. La reelección presidencial. Para algunos, uno de los fallos más
importantes y trascendentales en la historia de la Corte Constitucional fue precisamente aquel
que decidió respecto de la constitucionalidad del Acto Legislativo 02 de 2004. La Corte
encontró que introducir la posibilidad de que el pueblo de manera soberana pudiera reelegir al
Presidente de la República, a pesar de introducir una modificación importante en algunos
aspectos del diseño de la distribución del poder del Estado, no implicaba una sustitución de la
Constitución de 1991 por una opuesta o integralmente diferente, ya que esas modificaciones
son eventuales y hacen parte de la ponderación que debe adelantar el Congreso al momento
de debatir una reforma constitucional.
8. Sentencia T-221 de 2006. Prevalencia del principio de progresividad en el régimen legal de
la pensión de invalidez. En esta providencia, la Corte avanzó en la determinación de los
alcances del principio de progresividad aplicado al campo de la seguridad social, en el sentido
de que se impone al legislador la prohibición prima facie de establecer medidas regresivas en
materia de derechos prestacionales. La Corporación inaplicó el requisito de fidelidad
introducido en el artículo primero de la Ley 860 de 2003 para el reconocimiento de la pensión
de invalidez, por considerar que sus efectos resultaban desproporcionados y lesivos en el caso
concreto.
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9. Sentencia C-075 de 2007. El reconocimiento de derechos civiles de orden patrimonial a las
parejas de un mismo sexo. Esta decisión constituye un avance en materia de reconocimiento y
protección de los derechos a la dignidad y a la igualdad de las parejas del mismo sexo, grupos
que históricamente han sido objeto de discriminación, pues la Corte dispuso que dichas parejas
que conviven, al terminarse la cohabitación, pueden reclamar de su compañero o compañera
permanente, la parte que les corresponde en el capital que conformaron durante el tiempo de
convivencia, haciéndoles extensivo el régimen de protección patrimonial previsto en la Ley 54
de 1990 para las parejas heterosexuales.
10. Sentencia T-1037 de 2007. Protección de los derechos de las víctimas con respecto a los
llamados muros de la infamia. En dicho fallo, la Corte se pronunció sobre el Acuerdo 280
de 2007 del Concejo de Bogotá, que disponía divulgar los nombres y fotos de los
condenados por delitos sexuales, cuyas víctimas fueran menores de edad, encontrando
que la medida, a pesar de tener un efecto preventivo, comportaba una grave afectación
de la dignidad de la persona humana y de otras esferas constitucionalmente protegidas, en
especial, de las propias víctimas y sus familias, pues, además de tener que confrontarse
cotidianamente con la imagen magnificada de su agresor, en caso de pertenecer víctima y
victimario a la misma familia, la divulgación de la identidad de éste afectaba
necesariamente a la víctima y la ponía en trance de sufrir una dolorosa presión social.
11. Sentencia C-030 de 2008. Protección de las comunidades indígenas frente a decisiones
que les afectan. En esta sentencia la Corte declaró la inconstitucionalidad de la denominada
Ley General Forestal debido a que durante su trámite se desconoció el derecho de las
comunidades indígenas a la consulta previa para la adopción de cualquier medida
administrativa o legislativa que pueda afectarlas. Expresó la Corte que cuando procede ese
deber de consulta, surge para las comunidades un derecho fundamental en razón de su
importancia política, de su significación para la defensa de la identidad e integridad cultural y
de su condición de mecanismo de participación.
12. Sentencia T-814 de 2008. El derecho de los drogadictos a recibir un tratamiento integral
en salud. En esta providencia la Corte señaló que la adicción a sustancias sicoactivas constituye
una enfermedad de carácter crónico que afecta la salud mental, la autonomía y la dignidad de
quien la padece y de su núcleo familiar. En tal sentido, dispuso que las empresas promotoras
de salud -EPS- se encuentran obligadas a brindar la atención médica necesaria para que el
paciente se estabilice y supere su padecimiento, sin perjuicio de que puedan repetir contra el
Estado en lo no contemplado en el Plan Obligatorio de Salud.
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13. Salvamento de voto a la Sentencia C-1064 de 2001. El Magistrado Rodrigo Escobar Gil se
apartó de la decisión adoptada en el citado fallo, donde la Corte consideró ajustado a la
Constitución una rebaja de los salarios de los servidores públicos incluida en el presupuesto
nacional para el año 2001, bajo la consideración de que la forma de Estado Social de Derecho,
instituida por la actual Constitución, garantiza el derecho de los trabajadores a mantener el
poder adquisitivo del salario y, por tanto, cualquier medida regresiva en ese sentido es
contraria a los valores, principios y derechos consagrados en dicho texto Superior.
14. Salvamento de Voto a la Sentencia C-355 de 2006. El Magistrado Rodrigo Escobar Gil salvó
el voto en la decisión que despenalizó el delito de aborto en los casos de violación, riesgo para
la salud de la madre y malformación del feto, por considerar inconstitucional la distinción
aceptada por la mayoría, en virtud de la cual la vida del nasciturus es tan solo un bien jurídico
de relevancia constitucional, mientras que la vida de las personas nacidas sí constituye un
derecho subjetivo de naturaleza fundamental. La razón de su disentimiento fue la de
considerar que la vida humana aparece desde el momento mismo de la concepción y, por
tanto, constituye desde entonces y hasta la muerte un derecho subjetivo de raigambre
fundamental, de suerte que en ningún momento del proceso vital puede tenerse como un
simple bien jurídico, al cual pueda oponerse un mejor derecho a la vida o a la libertad de otro
ser humano.
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GESTIÓN DEL COMISIONADO RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL ANTE LA COMISIÓN INTERAMERICANA
DE DERECHOS HUMANOS
El doctor Rodrigo Escobar Gil, como miembro de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos
Humanos (órgano principal del Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos), dignidad que
actualmente ostenta dentro del período que se inició en el año 2010 y concluye en el año
2014, se ha desempeñado como relator de México, Costa Rica, Argentina, Bolivia y República
Dominicana, contribuyendo en la dirección y orientación de los trabajos que adelanta la
Secretaria Ejecutiva en el estudio sobre solicitudes de medidas cautelares, y en la elaboración y
sustentación de los proyectos correspondientes al sistema de peticiones y casos que se
tramitan respecto a los mencionados Estados.
Adicionalmente, durante su período como comisionado, el doctor Escobar Gil ha tenido una
activa participación en el proceso de fortalecimiento de la Comisión que, actualmente se
adelanta por recomendación del Grupo de Trabajo Especial de Reflexión sobre el
Funcionamiento de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos para el Fortalecimiento
del Sistema Interamericano de Derechos Humanos, del Consejo Permanente de la OEA,
contribuyendo al diseño y adecuación de los mecanismos, procedimientos y prácticas que se
han adoptado para el cabal cumplimiento de las funciones de promoción y protección de los
derechos humanos que se le atribuyen a la Comisión.
Igualmente, el comisionado Rodrigo Escobar Gil asumió formalmente el cargo de Relator sobre
Personas Privadas de Libertad en enero de 2010, y su gestión se ha caracterizado
principalmente por la consolidación institucional de la Relatoría. Anteriormente, se realizaban
numerosas visitas, ahora se ha institucionalizado la práctica de que siempre se elaboren
informes de esas visitas y que se les dé seguimiento a las mismas por medio de los mecanismos
de monitoreo con los que cuenta la CIDH. Además se ha hecho un trabajo muy importante en
el perfeccionamiento y actualización de la página Web Oficial de la Relatoría y en el
fortalecimiento de las relaciones con otros actores de la región vinculados al trabajo con
personas privadas de libertad. Adicionalmente, en este período la Relatoría emitió su informe
general sobre personas privadas de libertad, a partir del cual los próximos informes que se
emitan serán dirigidos a temas concretos, buscando que cada vez sean más especializados.
Pero sobre todo, en este periodo se ha ido avanzando en la doctrina de la propia CIDH respecto
del deber de los Estados de asumir el problema penitenciario como un asunto que amerita
políticas públicas integrales y respecto de los elementos que estas políticas deben tener.
De igual forma, es necesario mencionar que, desde la fecha en que el comisionado Rodrigo
Escobar Gil asumió formalmente el cargo de Relator sobre Personas Privadas de Libertad desde
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enero de 2010 y hasta diciembre de 2012; se han realizado las siguientes visitas de trabajo a
países como Ecuador (mayo de 2010); Argentina (junio de 2010); El Salvador (octubre de 2010);
Suriname (mayo de 2011); Uruguay (julio de 2011); Honduras (abril de 2012); Colombia (3 al 7
de diciembre de 2012) y se dio el lanzamiento formal del Informe sobre los Derechos Humanos
de las Personas Privadas de Libertad en las Américas, el cual fue aprobado por la Comisión
Interamericana el 31 de diciembre de 2012, siendo el documento más completo y profundo
que haya realizado un organismo internacional de derechos humanos sobre esta temática. De
hecho, actualmente, el relator Escobar Gil está orientando la elaboración de un informe
temático sobre el uso de la prisión preventiva en las Américas y los estándares del derecho
internacional aplicables al uso de esta medida.
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RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL
CANDIDATE OF COLOMBIA TO THE INTERAMERICAN COMMISSION
ON HUMAN RIGHTS –IACHR-.
TERM 2014 - 2017
CURRICULUM
VITAE
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Attorney from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá. Doctorate (PhD) in Administrative
Law from the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Justice on the Constitutional Court from 2001
to 2009 and Chief Justice of that august body from February 2007 to February 2008. While on the
Constitutional Court bench, he had occasion to hear many cases involving the protection of human
rights, since one of the Constitutional Court’s functions in Colombia is to guarantee swift
protection of human rights, in accordance with the Constitution and the international treaties to
which Colombia is party.
General Manager of the Revolving Fund of the Ministry of Justice from 1992 to 1993. Consulting
attorney and litigator with over 16 years’ experience before the highest courts of the land,
representing various private enterprises and State agencies. University professor of Administrative
Law and author of various books on the subject.
Since January 2010, a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (a principal
organ of the inter-American human right system). From 2010 to 2011, served as the IACHR’s
Country Rapporteur for Mexico, Costa Rica, and the Dominican Republic. Since 2012, he has
served as the IACHR’s Country Rapporteur for Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia. Also, since 2010,
Thematic Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty.
ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
Undergraduate
Universidad Javeriana de Bogotá, Colombia.
Law degree, 1983.
Doctorate
Doctorate in Administrative Law, Universidad Complutense
de Madrid, Spain, 1984-1986.
Dissertation. Grade: Cum Laude.
Other studies
Centro de Estudios Constitucionales, Madrid, Spain, 1985.
Course on Ibero-American Constitutional Law.
Universidad Complutense de Madrid
Courses: Administrative Procedural Law.
Origin and Evolution of Constitutional Law.
Introduction to Agrarian Law.
Madrid, Spain, 1984.
Sociedad de Altos Estudios Internacionales de España,
Madrid, Spain, 1984 and 1985.
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International Studies Program.
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights
Organization of American States
COMMISSIONER
2010 to the present
Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights
Organization of American States
SECOND VICE CHAIR
2011
IACHR Rapporteurship on the Rights of
Persons Deprived of Liberty
RAPPORTEUR
2010 to the present
Country Rapporteurship for Mexico,
Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic.
RAPPORTEUR
2010 - 2011
Country Rapporteurship for Mexico, Argentina
and Bolivia
RAPPORTEUR
2012 to the present
Constitutional Court of Colombia
JUSTICE
2001 to 2009.
CHIEF JUSTICE
02/09/07 to 02/09/08
Highest court in Colombia’s constitutional jurisdiction, charged with determining human rights and
guaranteeing their immediate protection, based on the Constitution and the international human rights
treaties that are constitutional law in Colombia.
Revolving Fund
Ministry of Justice
GENERAL MANAGER
1992 – 1993
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Consultant and attorney in administrative law, constitutional law, private law and procedural law for
private businesses and government agencies, in proceedings conducted before the Council of State,
the Supreme Court, the Constitutional Court and other jurisdictional bodies.
1983 – 2000
2009 – to the present.
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Consultant of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) on projects for institutional reform in
Latin America.
1999
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Consultant to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (the UN Refugee
Agency) on developments in the regulations governing the restitution of lands to the forcibly
displaced.
2009
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Consultant to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (the UN Refugee
Agency) on designing alternative conflict-resolution mechanisms that facilitate and expedite the
process of restoring real properties to victims of land-grabbing.
2009.
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Participated in processes to privatize companies and business in the areas of public utilities and the
electric power sector.
TENURED PROFESSOR OF LAW
Between 1987 and 2007, tenured professor in public law at the undergraduate and graduate levels at
various universities in Colombia, among them the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, La Sabana, the Colegio
Mayor de Nuestra Señora del Rosario and the Universidad Sergio Arboleda.
MAJOR PUBLICATIONS
A. Books and Chapters in Books
El Contrato de Leasing Financiero (The Trust Contract). Bogotá.
Editorial Temis, 1984.
La Responsabilidad Contractual de la Administración Pública
(Government Contractual Liability). Bogotá. Editorial Temis, 1988.
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La Conciliación en el Proceso Contencioso Administrativo
(Mediation in Administrative Proceedings). La Protección Jurídica
del Ciudadano. Volume III. Study in Honor of Professor Jesús
González Pérez. Madrid, Spain, Editorial Civitas, S.A., 1993 (in
Spanish)
El Pensamiento Constitucional de Bolívar (The Constitutional
Philosophy of Bolivar). Ediciones Pontificia Universidad Javeriana,
1996.
Teoría General de los Contratos de la Administración Pública
(General Theory on Government Contracting). Bogotá, Editorial
Legis, 1999.
La Transfomación Jurídica del Contrato Administrativo en el
Derecho Colombiano (The Legal Rethinking of Government
Contracts in Colombian Law). Volume IV. Bogotá, Ediciones
Jurídicas Gustavo Ibáñez, 2005.
B. University journals
El Principio General de la Buena Fe en los Contratos Administrativos
(The Principle of Good Faith in Government Contracts). Bogotá.
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Revista Universitas, June 1986.
Aspectos Constitucionales de la Reforma Urbana (Constitutional
Issues Raised by Urban Reform). Bogotá. Pontificia Universidad
Javeriana. Revista Universitas, 1989.
Consideraciones en torno a la Creación de una Corte Constitucional
(Some thoughts on the establishment of a Constitutional Court),
Bogotá. Pontificia Universidad Javeriana. Revista Universitas, 1989.
El concepto de los contratos de la Administración Pública (The
concept of government contracts). Bogotá, Pontificia Universidad
Javeriana. Revista Universitas. June 1992.
COURSES, SEMINARS AND CONFERENCES
Diploma in Government Contracting
Academic Director
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Bogota, 1999 and 2000
Degree Program in Public Administration
Lecturer
Bogotá, 1998
Degree Program in Government Contracting
Lecturer
Bogotá, 1998, 1999 and 2000
National Insurance Institute
The method of selecting contractors
Lecturer
Bogotá, 1988
Universidad Libre, Pereira Section
Degree Program in Government Contracting
Lecturer
Bogotá, 2000
III International Encounter on Constitutional Justice
Speaker
Constitutional Court
Bogotá, 2005
International Seminar “Constitutional Justice in the XXI Century”
Lecturer
Bogotá, 2006
Fifth Ibero-American Conference on Constitutional Justice
Speaker
International Workshops in Constitutional Law
Lecturer
Quito, Ecuador, 2006
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Forum - Toledo International Centre for Peace
Lecturer
Madrid, Spain, 2007
Tenth International Seminar “Constitutional Justice in the XXI Century”
Lecturer
Sucre, Bolivia, 2007
Sixth Ibero-American Conference on Constitutional Justice
President, organizer and speaker
Cartagena, 2007
Fourth Encounter of the Constitutional Court System
Speaker
Cartagena, 2008
First Research Seminar of the Legal Sciences Doctoral Program
School of Legal Sciences of the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Lecturer
Bogotá, 2009
Third International Symposium on Prisons and Human Rights,
Pilot Observatory on Human Rights in Incarceration Facilities.
Lecturer
Universidad San Buenaventura
Medellín, 2010
II Congress on Human Rights, School of Law, Universidad de Chile.
"Prison Law and Human Rights: Comparative experience and the case of Chile."
Speaker
Universidad de Chile
VI Encounter of the Constitutional Court System "Dialogues with the Nation"
Speaker
Constitutional Court
Bogotá, 2010
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Seminar "Analysis of the prison situation, the policy on crime and judicial responses to the situation in Latin
America."
Universidad de los Andes
Lecturer
Bogotá, 2010
Panel of Experts on the Inter-American System for the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights.
Global Foundation for Democracy and Development
Speaker
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 2011
Lecture "Indigenous and Ethnic Communities’ Right to Prior Consultation under Colombian Constitutional
Law and the Jurisprudence of the Inter-American Human Rights System."
Lecturer
Legal Research Institute of the Universidad Autónoma Nacional de México
Mexico, D.F., 2011
Keynote Address, “Indigenous and ethnic communities’ right to prior consultation under Colombian
constitutional law and the jurisprudence of the inter-American system."
Keynote speaker
National Human Rights Commission
Oaxaca, Mexico, 2011
International Conference "20 Years of the Constitution of Colombia"
Speaker
Bogotá, 2011
International Constitutional Law Seminar "20 years of the Constitution of Colombia"
Lecturer
Pontificia Universidad Javieriana
Bogotá, 2011
International Seminar on Constitutional Law "20 years of the Constitution of Colombia"
Lecturer
Mayor’s Office of Bogotá
Bogotá, 2011
International Symposium, National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC).
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Lecturer
Cartagena, 2012
Conference on Indigenous Communities’ Right to Prior Consultation.
Speaker
Riohacha, 2012
Forum on Strengthening the Inter-American Human Rights System.
Lecturer
Bogotá, 2012
Forum on Strengthening the Inter-American Human Rights System.
Lecturer
Mexico D.F., 2012
COMPETITIONS AND AWARDS
Winner of the competition to celebrate "100 Years of the Constitution,” sponsored by the Banco de la
República
José María Samper Fellowship, 1984
Barranquilla Judicial District Superior Court
Award for "invaluable contribution towards consolidating the institutions of democratic government in
Colombia"
June 2004
Office of the Governor of the Department of Magdalena.
Resolution No.197 of June 10, 2005
Decorated with the “Orden Tayrona de Gran Cruz José Eduardo Gnecco Correa”
Lawyers Club
Decorated with the “Orden Grado Gran Cruz”
March 2006
Colombian Academy of Lawyers
Awarded the "Title of Scholar”
March 2006
Santa Marta Tourism, Cultural and Historical District
Decree No.158 of June 8, 2007
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Awarded the medal “Distinción Honra al Mérito Distrital”
Resolution No.469 of June 8, 2007
Decorated with the “Orden Tayrona en Grado de Gran Cruz de Oro Antonio Escobar Camargo”
Decorated with the “Orden Rodrigo Noguera Laborde al Mérito Universitario”
June 2007
Office of the Mayor of Cartagena de Indias
Decree OP No. 26 of 2007
Awarded the “Medalla Cívica de Cartagena de Indias en el grado de Gran Oficial”
Office of the Governor of the Department of Bolívar
Decree No.405, 2007
Decorated with the “Orden Rafael Núñez en el grado de Gran Oficial”
Huila Governor’s Office
Awarded the "Eustasio Jose Rivera" decoration
November 2007
Superior Council of the Judiciary
Awarded the "José Ignacio de Márquez" decoration for Judicial Merit by the Administrative Law Chamber of
the Superior Council of the Judiciary
December 2007
Resolution No. 098 of January 31, 2008
Decorated with the "Order Tayrona en el Grado Cruz José Benito Vives de Andreis"
National Police
"Good Citizen Award"
April 2008
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RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL’s SERVICE AS A JUSTICE ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT’S BENCH
The following are among the Constitution Court’s rulings for which Justice Rodrigo Escobar Gil
wrote the majority opinion or a dissenting opinion:
RIGHT TO TRUTH, JUSTICE AND REPARATION.
Decision C-370, 2006, Justice and Peace Law.
In this judgment, the Constitutional Court issued its ruling on Law 975 of 2005, known as the
Justice and Peace Law. The Court emphasized that peace is central to order and ranks at the top of
the system of rights and values protected under the Constitution. It underscored that
internationally special attention has been devoted to the situation of states that are transitioning
to democracy or that are restoring peace and consolidating the principles of the rule of law. The
Court observed that the international community has recognized how important it is to achieve the
social objectives of peace. However, the international community has also been careful to point
out that in such transitions, there can be no relaxation of the international obligations incumbent
upon States by virtue of their universal commitment to respect human dignity and human rights.
Having established this premise, the Court then adopted measures to ensure that the law
comports with the Constitution and honors victims’ rights to truth, justice and reparation.
RIGHT TO PERSONAL LIBERTY AND SECURITY.
Decision C-774, 2001. Preventive detention.
In this ruling, the Court addressed the issue of preventive detention and in so doing gave an
energetic defense of the individual’s rights to personal liberty and the presumption of innocence.
The Court held that preventive detention, as a precautionary measure, is exceptional in nature as it
restricts the accused’ right to personal liberty. The Court held, therefore, that when a less onerous
alternative is available that serves the same ends, that alternative must be selected rather than
preventive detention.
DUE PROCESS AND PROCEDURAL GUARANTEES.
Decision SU-1185, 2001.
The right to seek protection against court decisions because of errors of interpretation. In this
ruling, the Court established limits on the principles of autonomy and judicial independence in the
area of judicial interpretation. It explained that under no circumstances can the autonomy and
independence given to judicial authorities to interpret and apply the law be invoked in the case of
assertions of authority that display an ignorance of fundamental rights.
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Decision T-601, 2006. Right of access to the administration of justice and due process.
This case involved an individual who had been the respondent in a suit seeking the return of a
rental property and to whom a lower court had refused to give a full hearing until she paid the rent
and taxes allegedly owed. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court overturned the lower court’s
decision and protected the respondent’s right of defense and right of rebuttal. It did so on the
grounds that there was no prima facie evidence that the amounts in question had not been paid.
RIGHT TO PRIVACY, HONOR AND DIGNITY
Decision T-1198, 2004. Protection of one’s good name against false allegations in opinion
columns.
On this occasion, the Court protected the right to one’s good name and honor in the case of an
individual who was the victim of a misrepresentation. Value judgments had been represented as
fact in an opinion piece that portrayed the individual as having been declared guilty of criminal,
administrative and fiscal wrongdoing, although no authority had ever so ruled. The Court upheld
the lower-court’s decision in which the columnist was ordered to issue the corresponding
correction.
Decision T-959, 2006. Protection against false allegations made in political campaigns.
In this decision the Court delivered a ruling on the false allegations made against the Unión
Patriótica political movement during the campaign waged to re-elect the President of the Republic.
The Court defended the aggrieved political movement’s rights where it held that to accuse an
individual or group of individuals of killing and injuring civilians without any offer of evidence
crosses the boundaries of free speech; as broad as the right to free speech may be, it is
unreasonable to contend that such assertions are protected speech. The Court ordered the heads
of the presidential campaign to state explicitly and publicly that the campaign was wrong to have
spread, as part of the campaign strategy, a message based on unproven allegations that harmed
the good name and honor of the members of that political movement and their families.
Decision T-1037, 2007. Protection of victims’ rights with respect to the so-called walls of infamy.
In this decision the Court issued a ruling concerning Agreement 280 of 2007 of the Bogota City
Council, in which the City Council ordered publication of the names and photographs of persons
convicted of sexual crimes committed against minors. The Court held that its deterrent effect
notwithstanding, this measure could be an affront to personal dignity and other constitutionally
protected rights, especially those of the victims themselves and their families. Day after day, the
victims and their families would be confronted with a blown-up image of the assailant. If the
victim and his/her assailant were members of the same family, circulating the assailant’s identity
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would be hard on the victim, who would then be faced with the prospect of enduring painful social
pressure.
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT AND EXPRESSION
Decision T-060, 2002. Freedom of expression in universities.
In this decision the Court decided to protect a university professor’s right to free speech, which
was violated when he was fired from the university presumably for having participated in a
democratic process within the university. He was not advised of the reasons for his dismissal and
was not given an opportunity to contest them. The Court ordered that the professor was to be
reinstated to his position at the university.
Decision T-787, 2004. Protecting privacy from arbitrary intrusions.
After a careful study of the scope of the rights to freedom of information and freedom of
expression as they affect such rights as privacy, the Constitutional Court’s ruling recognized that
while the various manifestations of freedom of expression are protected under the Constitution,
the exercise of these rights in the extreme can pierce the veil of privacy, as sometimes happens in
the case of public figures. The Court repeatedly emphasized the fact that at its core, the right to
privacy presupposes that every individual has and enjoys a private sphere that is off-limits to State
interference or arbitrary intrusions by society. It is that realm of privacy that allows every
individual to develop his/her personal, spiritual and cultural life.
CHILDREN’S RIGHTS
Decision T-1025, 2002. Gender assignment in the case of minors who are hermaphrodites or
have other intersex conditions.
In this decision the Court made headway on the question of assisted consent, i.e., the consent that
parents give with respect to the gender assignment of children who are hermaphrodites or have
other intersex conditions. In its ruling, the informed consent of the minor, which is the expression
of the fundamental rights to the free development of one’s personality, to personal integrity and
to human dignity, is combined with the support that parents have to provide when a decision has
to be made concerning the gender assignment of a minor who is a hermaphrodite or has some
other intersex condition.
Decision T-587, 2001. A child’s fundamental right to health.
The Court took the case of a minor who required a myeloablative bone marrow transplant from an
unrelated donor, a procedure not done within the country and hence not covered by the POS.
The Court further elaborated upon the criteria used to determine whether treatments are or are
not covered under the POS, particularly in the case of minors, taking particular account of the
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effectiveness of treatments that are alternatives to the treatments not covered by the POS,
specifically experimental procedures.
Decision C-170, 2004. Protecting minors from child labor in Colombia.
When issuing its ruling on the general ban prohibiting labor by children under the age of 14, set
forth in the Minor’s Code, the Court cited the Constitution and international human rights treaties
to confirm the ban on child labor. It stressed the fact that minors must have special protection;
under the pro infans principle, children must always be protected from any abuse, neglect or
conduct detrimental to their balanced and full development. Therefore, the Court held that the
prohibition of child labor is a special mechanism by which to protect the rights of minors,
particularly their right to education, as the ban on child labor enables children to exercise that right
to education. In this ruling, the Court also examined the exceptional circumstances under which
the Constitution and the laws of Colombia allow children to work, all for the purpose of ensuring
that child labor, where allowed, is regulated and humane.
FREEDOM OF ASSOCIATION AND ASSEMBLY AND THE RIGHTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR.
Decision T-764, 2005. Rehiring following dismissal constituting persecution based on union
membership.
In this ruling the Court elaborated upon its case law on the subject of the reversed burden of proof
in cases of reinforced job stability. It wrote that the presence of a subjective condition need not be
proved in order for the reversed burden of proof to apply in cases in which persecution based on
union membership is alleged; instead, one must prove the presence of a set of objective conditions
from which one can infer that the employer’s design was anti-union and capable of infringing the
right of association, either by the impact on the workers or its effect on the union’s activities and
provided it can be shown, for example, that it had a retaliatory dimension or was geared to
discouraging union membership, or that it affected only those workers who were members of a
union or was targeted at workers who were union leaders, etc. The Court ordered the rehiring of a
group of workers who were members of a union and whose contracts had been unilaterally
terminated without giving sufficient cause.
Decision T-012, 2007. Right to wage mobility and freedom to join a union.
In this decision the Constitutional Court ordered that the wages of a group of unionized workers
were to be raised. The Court’s reasoning was the lack of a wage increase meant that the
guaranteed purchasing power of their wages was not maintained. That guarantee is based on the
constitutional right to wage mobility; furthermore, the failure to maintain the purchasing power of
the wages disregarded the principle of equality by granting the wage increase exclusively to
nonunionized workers, thereby threatening the unionized workers’ freedom of association, since
the salary gap could become a sufficient incentive to drop out of the union.
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MINORITY RIGHTS
Decision C-075, 2007. Recognition of the property-related civil rights of same-sex couples.
This decision bespeaks the progress made in the recognition and protection of the rights to dignity
and equality of same-sex couples, who have historically been the victims of discrimination. The
Court wrote that such couples can live together and, when they terminate their relationship, can
sue their partners or companions for their share of the community property they amassed during
their partnership. With this ruling, the Court extended the community property system
established in Law 54 of 1990 for heterosexual couples, to apply to same-sex couples as well.
INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES’ RIGHTS
Decision C-030, 2008. Protection of indigenous communities from legal decisions that may
adversely affect them.
In this decision the Court declared the so-called General Forestry Law unconstitutional because,
when it was drafted and approved, the indigenous communities’ right to be consulted in advance
of the adoption of any administrative or legislative measure that might affect them was
disregarded. The Court wrote that where the duty to consult is required, indigenous communities
have a fundamental right because of the political importance of that duty to consult, its
importance in defending their identity and cultural integrity, and because such consultations are a
vehicle enabling indigenous communities to participate.
Decision T-552, 2003. Indigenous jurisdiction.
In this decision the Court resolved to protect the fundamental rights to diversity, autonomy and
due process of the indigenous community of Caquiona and the rights of its members to be judged
by its traditional authorities, in accordance with its uses and customs. The Court underscored the
point that in determining whether that special jurisdiction applies, the most important
consideration is that the indigenous community must speak as a community, mainly through its
authorities and with the support and approval of its members, making a commitment to take
jurisdiction, to extend and reaffirm its social control practices, and make headway in defining its
own legal system as a way to affirm its own identity.
Decision T-1238, 2004. Indigenous jurisdiction.
In this decision the Constitutional Court reiterated the conditions that must be met for indigenous
communities to have jurisdiction in cases in which they assert jurisdiction. It pointed out that for
indigenous communities to have jurisdiction, the conduct over which the community seeks to
exercise jurisdiction must be traceable to the indigenous culture in terms of the active and passive
subjects, the territory in which the conduct occurred, and the existence of a traditional authority
with the knowledge to exercise jurisdiction in accordance with the community’s norms and
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procedures. In this ruling, the Court granted protection to an indigenous leader which a court in
the regular justice system had sentenced to prison. It ordered the appropriate authorities that he
was to be released immediately and handed over to the Council of Elders of the Indigenous People
of Cofán, to be judged according to its uses and customs.
WOMEN´S RIGHTS
Decision T-998, 2008
In this decision the Court reinforced its case law to the effect that the principles of equality and
solidarity are realized when maternity leave benefits are paid, because paid maternity leave avoids
the discrimination to which women may fall victim because of the natural processes of conception,
gestation and birth; it also protects the family as the basic unit of society that promotes the
effective realization of the fundamental rights to dignity and a minimum subsistence for mother
and child.
RIGHTS OF PERSON WITH DISABILITIES
Decision T-221, 2006. Pre-eminence of the principle of progressivity in the legal disability
pension system.
In this decision the Court made further progress in establishing the scope of the principle of
progressivity as applied to social security in the sense that the lawmaker is prohibited prima facie
from establishing regressive measures in the area of social security benefits. The Constitutional
Court declared that the “fidelity” factor that appears in Article 1 of Law 860 (2003) as a
requirement for eligibility for a disability pension does not apply in the instant case as it is
disproportionate and harmful.
RIGHT TO HEALTH
Decision T-814, 2008. Right of drug addicts to receive comprehensive health care.
In this decision the Constitutional Court held that drug addiction is a chronic illness that affects
mental health, and the autonomy and dignity of the drug addict and his/her nuclear family.
Accordingly, it ordered that health companies are required to offer medical treatment so that the
patient’s condition stabilizes and he/she conquers his/her drug addiction, without prejudice to the
fact that such companies may seek compensation from the State for conditions not covered by the
Mandatory Health Plan.
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RIGHT TO EDUCATION
Decision C-208, 2007. The basic right of indigenous communities to an education respectful of
their customs and values.
In this decision the Constitutional Court again reiterated that under the Constitution, ethnic
multiculturalism is recognized and protected in the Colombian State. This presupposes the
recognition of the fundamental right to ethnic and cultural diversity. In this ruling, the Court
observed that under ILO Convention No. 169, the rights to prior consultation and their own
educational institutions are a fundamental part of the structure of the right to ethnic and cultural
diversity. This means that the State must comply with its obligations to consult the interested
peoples or communities, through appropriate procedures, for their opinion on legislative or
administrative measures that might affect them directly, and to introduce a special educational
system for ethnic groups that comports with their cultures and ways of life. This means that
indigenous peoples in general, and their members in particular, are entitled to receive from the
State a special education tailored to the requirements and characteristics of the various groups
that live within Colombian territory.
Decision T-933, 2005. Economic factors cannot undermine the core elements of the right to
education.
In this decision the Constitutional Court further developed its case law on reconciling the right to
education and the principle of university autonomy. It stressed that the former is pre-eminent.
Here, the Court decided to protect the rights to education, work, and a minimum wage of those
who, having completed all the necessary academic requirements to obtain a degree in law, are
deemed not to be in good standing with the university. The Court was of the view that although it
is a requirement stipulated in Article 143(d) of the Academic Regulations, to demand that a
student settle his/her accounts with the university as a graduation requirement is too onerous and
disproportionate; although the measure seeks to defend the university’s economic interests, it
does so by sacrificing the core element of the student’s basic rights to an education, a job and a
minimum subsistence. So long as the student does not have the economic means to pay his/her
educational debt and cannot even envision the possibility of doing so in the short or medium term,
any possibility of completing his/her studies in law and launching himself/herself into a career in
law is illusory.
RIGHT TO HOUSING
Decision T-494, 2005. Judicial protection of minors’ right to housing.
The Court protected the right of a group of minors to housing and to the decent standard of living
that is conducive to healthy physical, mental and social growth and development. In so doing, it
overturned a decision that had ordered their eviction and the surrender of the property in which
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they were living, because the lower court did not grant standing to the family defenders who were
representing the minors to ensure that they were able to exercise their basic rights fully.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM
Decision T-823, 2002. Objection to medical treatment on religious grounds.
In this decision, the Court addressed the issue of the scope of religious freedom. The case involved
a physician who refused to operate on a person who said beforehand that, because of religious
beliefs, she would not allow blood transfusions. In the ruling the Constitutional Court wrote that
one of the limits imposed on the exercise of freedom of religion is the specific duty not to take
advantage of one’s own rights and in the process narrow the scope of other fundamental rights or
sacrifice constitutionally more important principles. Hence, rights have to be exercised reasonably
and in proportion to and commensurate with the ends being sought, without jeopardizing a more
important guarantee or fundamental principle.
In reasoning the case, the Court invoked the so-called theory or doctrine of coexistence, which
holds that when it is difficult to strike a balance between some fundamental right and the various
principles, values and rights defined in the Constitution, they can be reconciled by recognizing that,
as they are generally relative in nature, they can be lawfully exercised so long as they neither harm
nor threaten another fundamental right or the general welfare.
DISPLACED PERSONS
Decision T-025, 2004.
In this decision, the Review Chamber, composed of Justices Manuel José Cepeda, Jaime Cordova
Triviño and Rodrigo Escobar Gil, declared the existence of an unconstitutional state of affairs in
forced internal displacement. The decision and its follow-up have been a milestone in the judicial
approach to the problem and have established a new paradigm for the judicial protection of
economic, social and cultural rights, not just because of the progress they represent in the implicit
characterization of those rights as genuinely subjective rights deserving judicial protection, but also
because of the definition of the function that the judge is called upon to serve in shaping public
policy when the political bodies, that are those first called upon to address social demands, are not
up to the job or are incapable of acting with the swiftness prescribed when constitutional rights
are at stake.
Decision T-364, 2008. Extension of humanitarian aid.
The Court decided to protect the minimum subsistence and human dignity of a woman displaced
by violence and who asked that the humanitarian aid be extended to meet her basic needs and
those of her nuclear family; that humanitarian aid had been denied on the grounds that the time
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period established in Law 387 of 1997 had expired. The Court held that displaced persons are
entitled to an extension of the humanitarian relief they receive until they are able to escape their
poverty and economic vulnerability, in accordance with the criteria set out in judgment C-278 of
2007.
Decision T-156, 2008. Relaxation of the requirement to qualify for assistance programs in
emergencies.
In this ruling, the Court again protected the fundamental right of equality, the right to a minimum
subsistence and human dignity of a woman displaced by the violence who was not allowed to
register in the Single Registry of Displaced Persons because by the time she explained the facts that
led to her displacement, the deadline for registering had already expired. In delivering its ruling,
the Court took account of the fact that the rule containing the prescribed time period had been
declared constitutional on the condition that if an emergency or act of force majeure should occur,
the prescribed time period should begin to run once the emergency was over. In this case, the
Court concluded that the plaintiff’s fear of retaliation on the part of the armed group that had
forced her displacement was so great that it constituted force majeure; therefore, it was fair to
allow her to make her statement and register after the normal deadline.
KIDNAPPED PERSONS
Decision T-520, 2003. Special measures of protection for victims of kidnapping and their families,
with respect to failure to meet business or commercial obligations.
For the first time, the Constitutional Court established the bases of a system to provide special
protection to victims of kidnapping and their families. It clarified that even though the legal
system protects families of workers who have been kidnapped, where the employer is required to
pay a solidarity ransom, the protection is inadequate because it does not cover other risks that
they encounter, different from those that are strictly employment related, such as those resulting
from failure to meet commercial and business obligations. Therefore, in its ruling the Court made
clear that any commercial or business obligations that fall due while the person is kidnapped are
not enforceable; thus, those deprived of their liberty cannot go into default and shall not be
subject to embargos or attachments so long as they are in the hands of their kidnappers.
ENFORCED DISAPPEARENCE AS A CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY
Decision C-580, 2002. The Colombian State is required to implement measures of protection in
the case of crimes against humanity.
In this ruling, the Constitutional Court was reviewing the constitutionality of the law approving the
Inter-American Convention on Forced Disappearance of Persons, and established that under
human rights treaties, the Colombian State has an obligation to prosecute and punish the crime of
18
-IACHR-
forced disappearance. For the first time, the Court also ruled that criminal action to prosecute
such conduct is not subject to either the statute of limitations or prescription. It also wrote that, as
the Inter-American Court of Human Rights had held, a State’s recognition of human rights makes it
incumbent upon that State to adopt the mechanisms necessary to combat the forced
disappearance of persons.
INSTITUTIONAL DECISIONS CONCERNING THE CASE LAW OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT.
Decision C-836 of 2001. The “probable doctrine”.
In its ruling on the legal concept of the "probable doctrine," the Court made a very significant step
towards affirming the binding nature of its case law in all jurisdictions, which means that judges
must take the Constitutional Court’s case law into account and apply it as needed.
Decision SU-1185, 2001.
Admissibility of a petition seeking protection against court decisions on the grounds of errors in
interpretation. In this ruling, the Court established limits on the principles of autonomy and
judicial independence in the area of judicial interpretation. It explained that under no
circumstances can the autonomy and independence given to judicial authorities to interpret and
apply the law be invoked in the case of assertions of authority that display an ignorance of
fundamental rights.
Decision C-426 of 2002.
The doctrine of “living law”. An action to have an interpretation of the law declared
unconstitutional. This ruling is of the utmost importance in the realm of abstact constitutional
control, to the extent that it incorporates the theory of living law into constitutional control. In the
Court’s ruling, it held that the judges’ interpretation of a law can be tested for its constitutionality
as the text that is the product of the interpretation is the practical development of the measure
and reveals how the measure is being applied in practice.
ELECTORAL SYSTEM
Decision C-1040, 2005.
The re-election of the President. For some, one of the most important and far-reaching decisions
in the history of the Constitutional Court was the ruling that decided the constitutionality of
Legislative Act 02 of 2004. The Court found that although the possibility that a sovereign people
could re-elect the President of the Republic would introduce a significant change in some aspects
of the configuration of the division of state power, it did not mean that the 1991 Constitution was
being replaced by an altogether different one, since these modifications are temporary and part of
the review that Congress must conduct when discussing constitutional reform.
19
-IACHR-
RIGHT TO SOCIAL SECURITY
Decision T-221, 2006. Pre-eminence of the principle of progressivity in the legal disability
pension system.
In this decision the Court made further progress in establishing the scope of the principle of
progressivity as applied to social security in the sense that the lawmaker is prohibited prima facie
from establishing regressive measures in the area of social security benefits. The Constitutional
Court declared that the “fidelity” factor that appears in Article 1 of Law 860 (2003) as a
requirement for eligibility for a disability pension does not apply in the instant case as it is
disproportionate and harmful.
Dissenting votes
Dissenting opinion to Decision C-1064, 2001. Justice Rodrigo Escobar Gil was not in agreement
with this judgment, where the Court held that the cut made to the salaries and wages of civil
servants, and included in the 2001 national budget, was constitutional. He argued that the rule of
law established by the Constitution guarantees that the purchasing power of workers’ salaries and
wages will be maintained; therefore, any regressive measure in that regard is contrary to the
values, principles and rights embodied in the Constitution.
Vote on Judgment C-355 of 2006 withheld. Justice Rodrigo Escobar Gil did not vote either in favor
of or against the decision that legalized abortion in the case of rape, danger to the mother’s health
and or risk of fetal deformation. He did not agree with the distinction accepted by the majority on
the bench to the effect that the unborn child is simply a right of constitutional relevance, whereas
the life of a born child is a subjective right of fundamental importance. The reason for his dissent
was that he believes human life begins as of conception; therefore, from the moment of
conception until death, human life is an elementary subjective right and can never be taken as a
mere legal right that can be balanced against another person’s greater right to life or freedom.
20
-IACHR-
COMMISSIONER RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL’S SERVICE ON THE INTER- AMERICAN COMMISSION ON HUMAN
RIGHTS
Dr. Rodrigo Escobar Gil is a member of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (a
principal organ of the inter-American human rights system), having been elected to a four-year
term that began in 2010 and will end in 2014. During his tenure on the Commission, Dr. Escobar
Gil has served as Country Rapporteur for Mexico, Costa Rica, Argentina, Bolivia and the Dominican
Republic. In that capacity, he has provided guidance and counsel to the Executive Secretariat in
the studies it conducts on requests seeking precautionary measures, and in its preparation and
substantiation of the draft reports on petitions and cases involving those countries.
During his time as a Commission member, Dr. Escobar Gil has also been actively engaged in
strengthening the Commission, a process currently underway at the Permanent Council’s
recommendation. He has been instrumental in designing and adapting the mechanisms,
procedures and practices adopted to enable the Commission to fully perform its assigned function
of promoting the observance and protection of human rights.
In January 2010, Dr. Escobar Gil became the Commission’s Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons
Deprived of Liberty. The focus of his service as Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons Deprived of
Liberty has been institutional consolidation of the Rapporteurship. Given the many visits he has
conducted in the past, it has now become established practice to prepare reports on every visit
and then conduct follow-up through the IACHR’s monitoring mechanisms. Important work has
been done to improve and update the Rapporteurship’s official website and to strengthen
relations with other actors in the region active in protecting the rights of persons deprived of
liberty. The next reports issued will deal with concrete topics, so that with every report issued, the
content will become more specialized. However, during this period significant progress has been
made on the IACHR’s doctrine of the duty of states to develop public policies that address the
prison problem.
Since January 2010, when Commissioner Rodrigo Escobar Gil was formally elected as Rapporteur
on the Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty, the following working visits have been made to
countries like Ecuador (May 2010), Argentina (June 2010), El Salvador (October 2010), Suriname
(May 2011), Uruguay (July 2011), Honduras (April 2012), and Colombia (December 3-7, 2012). The
Report on the Human Rights of Persons Deprived of Liberty in the Americas, approved by the
Commission on December 31, 2012, is the most comprehensive, in-depth examination of this
subject ever done by an international human rights organization. Rapporteur Escobar Gil is
currently spearheading the development of a thematic report on the use of preventive detention
in the Americas and the standards of international law on the subject of preventive detention.
21

RODRIGO ESCOBAR GIL - Organization of American States

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