Notes From the Field: The Inter-American Court of Human Rights

Elizabeth Wheeler*

Part 2: The Location

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is situated on a hill in the mostly residential neighborhood of Los Yoses in San José, Costa Rica. The building itself was donated by the Costa Rican government. Surrounded by a tall, white stucco fence and guarded 24-hours a day like most buildings in San José, its design is reminiscent of a miniature White House, but with open windows and dark green trim.[1] A small sign, approximately 3-feet by 5-feet, posted outside the gate reads "Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos," and is the only indication that this building houses the highest tribunal for human rights for twenty-one American countries.

The front doors of the court building sit beneath a round balcony supported by white columns. Upon entry, visitors are usually awed by the large, beautiful staircase that circles the entryway, descending from the second floor. An enormous, crystal chandelier lights the room. Directly to the left of the front door is the office of the President of the Court. It has a 10-foot ceiling, dark wooden bookcases, a large wooden desk, and filmy, white curtains which blow in the wind when the windows are open.

When I arrived, there were construction workers swarming in and out of the building, completing the finishing touches on a three-story office building addition to the mansion-style building. The addition is painted in the same white with green trim. The second and third floors of the new addition now house the Judges' chambers and offices for the Court's legal staff. The first floor was already complete: a modern courtroom and a judges' deliberation chamber located in a windowless room behind the courtroom. On my first day of work, I toured the old and new buildings, and stood in awe looking at the quiet, empty courtroom.

The courtroom still smelled of fresh paint and new flooring. Compared to the elegance of the foyer, the Courtroom is simple and conservative with a shiny, dark brownish-red wooden floor, and clean lines. It has a long Judges' Bench on a slight platform with microphones and translation devices, seats for each of the Court's seven judges, facing a large, well-lit room. The Bench has enough additional space for cases that also have a Judge Ad Hoc. Facing the Judges' Bench to the left, also on a slight platform, is the witness box, and to the right a table, where, during the hearings, the Secretary of the Court, Deputy Secretary and Senior Lawyer of the case observe the proceedings. Facing the Bench, there are three tables: one for the representatives of the victim, one for the representatives of the Inter-American Commission, and one for the representatives of the State.

On my first day, my tour guide, who is a lawyer at the Court, explained that the Inter-American Court is unique among international tribunals in providing direct access for the victims' representatives to the Court during the hearings and in every stage of the procedure. During the hearings, each of the three parties receives equal time to present arguments and question witnesses. Behind the representatives' tables, there are ten to twelve rows of chairs for the audience. On most days of the public hearings, the seats are filled by family and friends of the victims, members of the press, students, and staff from human rights NGO's and from the Court. In the back of the courtroom there is a small, elevated room with observation windows for the Court's translators and technological staff. All of the public hearings are translated into English and Spanish, and in cases of necessity, into other languages as well.

The second floor of the new addition has large individual chambers for each of the Court's Judges and is primarily occupied only when the Court is in session. This floor also contains a meeting room with oversized black leather couches and tropical plants. While the Courtroom is air-conditioned, the rest of the building, including the second and third floors of the new addition, is not. I interned at the Court during Costa Rica's rainy season, when the temperature was often cool and overcast. However, the warmer weather in the dry season has prompted at least one member of the Court's legal staff to purchase a small, efficient, personal air conditioner for his office.

The third floor of the new building, which has a large, open hallway, and a view of the expanse of San José, has small offices for the Court's legal staff. It also has a conference room which is often occupied by a legal intern sifting through stacks of large binders of evidence or petitions submitted by the Commission or member States in one of the cases pending before the Court. The third floor is a home away from home for the entire legal staff of the Court.

Part 3: The Staff

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* Elizabeth Wheeler, J.D. expected 2005, is a student at Santa Clara University School of Law. This series of essays is based on her experience as an intern at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights during the summer of 2004.

[1] For a picture of the front of the Court building, you can visit the Court's website at: http://www.corteidh.or.cr.