Abstract
Chilean Constitution adheres to the idea that human rights emanate from a human person. Article 5, paragraph 2 of the Constitution says that the State shall not only respect and guarantee the rights established therein but also those contemplated in “the international treaties ratified by Chile and that are in force”. This Chapter will analyze the Inter-American human rights system, the relationship between Constitution and rights in Chile as well as the position of the treaties on human rights vis-à-vis the Constitution and the Chilean national law. Finally, the four cases in which Chile has been condemned for infringement of the San José Pact will be briefly revised, in particular, as to how this has affected the national juridical system.
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- 1.
It was signed by Argentina, Bolivia, Brasil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Chile, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estados Unidos, Guatemala, Haití, Honduras, México, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Perú, República Dominicana, Uruguay, Venezuela.
- 2.
The Charter was amended four times: “Protocolo de Buenos Aires” February 27, 1967, “Protocolo de Cartagena de Indias” December 5, 1985, “Protocolo de Washington” December 14, 1992 and the “Protocolo de Managua” June 10, 1993. Thirty-five countries ratified the OAS Charter and become Members of the Organization: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brasil, Canada, Chile Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, El Salvador, United States, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, México, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Perú, Republica Dominicana, St.Vincent and the St. Kitts and Nevis, Santa Lucía, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela.
- 3.
Advisory Opinion 10/89, I-A. Court H.R., Serie A.
- 4.
“Regulation for the Provisional Executive Authority of Chile” of 1811, “Constitutional Regulation” of 1812, “Regulation for the Provisional Government” of 1814, Constitution of 1818, Constitution of 1822, Constitution of 1823, Constitution of 1828, Constitution of 1833, Constitution of 1925 and Constitution of 1980.
- 5.
This is a clear influence of the European continental political and juridical tradition.
- 6.
The Constitutional Court had been created by the 1970 amendment to the Constitution of 1925.
- 7.
These laws are enacted to interpret the Constitution. Article 66 of the Chilean Constitution required three-fifths of the senators and deputies.
- 8.
According to Article 66 of the Chilean Constitution, these laws required a special quorum of four-sevenths of the senators and deputies. The Constitution required this special quorum because these laws regulate certain matters that the constituent power considered especially important, for instance, some rights and liberties, or the regulation of the powers.
- 9.
It is the German doctrine of Drittwirkung der Grundrechte (horizontal effect of fundamental rights).
- 10.
The problem is that this provision is widely used to bring to the courts private law problems and not constitutional problems. That is why nowadays, an important percentage of recursos de protección is connected with this kind of subjects, because lawyers prefer this mechanism, which is faster than other procedures. The recursos de protección are tried by courts of appeal. It is possible to appeal to the Supreme Court against their judgments.
- 11.
In the Chilean Constitution the Spanish name of this appeal is “recurso de inaplicabilidad”. This judicial review is equivalent to a hypothesis of concrete control of constitutionality.
- 12.
Constitutional Court, September 28 1985, Role 33. See: February 24, Role 43; May 14, 1991, Role 126 and June 26, 2.001, Role 325.
- 13.
To amend the Constitution, special quorum is necessary, variously depending on the chapter of the Constitution. In order to amend Chapters I, III, VIII, XI, XII and XV, it is necessary that the three fifth of senators and deputies approve. If the amendment affects any other chapter, it is necessary that the two thirds of the senators and deputies approve (Article 127). In order to approve an international treaty only a simple majority of the senators and deputies is required, unless the treaty contains norms that require a special quorum (Article 54).
- 14.
Chile ratified the Treaty on August 14, 1990.
- 15.
During the procedure, in serious and urgent cases, in order to avoid irreparable damages to the persons, the Court may take provisional measures. In cases that are under procedure before the Commission, the Court could take the same measures if the Commission asks for it (Article 63.2).
- 16.
Stith (2008, 401–447).
- 17.
“With a view to establishing a united Europe, the Federal Republic of Germany shall participate in the development of the European Union that is committed to democratic, social, and federal principles, to the rule of law, and to the principle of subsidiarity, and that guarantees a level of protection of basic rights essentially comparable to that afforded by this Basic Law. To this end the Federation may transfer sovereign powers by a law with the consent of the Bundesrat. The establishment of the European Union, as well as changes in its treaty foundations and comparable regulations that amend or supplement this Basic Law, or make such amendments or supplements possible, shall be subject to paragraphs (2) and (3) of Article 79.”
- 18.
February 5, 2001.
- 19.
November 22, 2005.
- 20.
September 19, 2006.
- 21.
Septiembre 26, 2006.
References
Bibliography
Bertelsen Repetto, R. 1998. Rango jurídico de los tratados internacionales. Revista Chilena de Derecho 23: 218.
Buergenthal, T. 1994. Derechos Humanos Internacionales. México: Ediciones Gernika, 216.
Krsticevic, V. 2007. Reflexiones sobre la ejecución de las decisiones del sistema interamericano de protección de derechos humanos. In Implementación de las decisiones del sistema interamericano de derechos humanos, 39. Buenos Aires: CEJIL.
Nuñez Poblete, M. 2000. Integración y Constitución. Valparaíso: Edeval, 86.
Silva Bascuñan, A. 1997. Tratado de Derecho Constitucional, vol. IV, 124–125. Santiago: Editorial Jurídica de Chile.
Stith, R. 2000. El problema del alto tribunal no razonable: una visión norteamericana de la jurisdicción de la Unión Europea. In Dos visiones norteamericanas de la jurisdicción de la Unión Europea, ed. R. Stith and J. Weiler, 17. Santiago de Compostela: Universidad de Santiago de Compostela.
Stith, R. 2008. Securing the rule of law through interpretative pluralism: An argument from comparative law. Hastings Constitutional Law Quarterly 35(3): 401–447.
Verdugo Marinkovic, M., E. Pfeffer Urquiaga, and Alcalá Humberto Nogueira. 1994. Derecho Constitucional, vol. I, 126. Santiago: Editorial Jurídica de Chile.
Legal Documents
American Convention on Human Rights, (“Pacto de San José de Costa Rica”).
American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man.
Chilean Constitutions: Regulation for the Provisional Executive Authority of 1811, Constitutional Regulation of 1812, Regulation for the Provisional Government of 1814, Constitution of 1818, Constitution of 1822, Constitution of 1823, Constitution of 1828, Constitution of 1833, Constitution of 1925 and Constitution of 1980.
Constitution of Italy.
Fugitive Slave Act (1850).
German Basic Law.
Protocol of Amendment to the OAS Charter.
Rules of Procedure of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
The Charter of the Organization of American States (OAS Charter) and its Protocols (Buenos Aires Protocol, Cartagena de Indias Protocol, Washington Protocol and Managua Protocol).
Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.
Judgments
Chilean Constitutional Court: Role 33; Role 43; Role 126, and Role 325.
German Constitutional Court: BverfGE 271, 1974; 89 BverfGE 155, 1993; BVerfG 2 BvE 2/08, 2009.
Inter-American Court of Human Rights: Advisory Opinion 10/89; Olmedo Bustos v. Chile; Palamara Iribarne v. Chile; Claude Reyes y otros v. Chile; Almonacid Arellano and others v. Chile.
Italian Constitutional Court: judgment number 183 of 1973.
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Estay, J.I.M. (2013). The Impact of the Jurisprudence Inter-American Court of Human Rights on the Chilean Constitutional System. In: Arnold, R. (eds) The Universalism of Human Rights. Ius Gentium: Comparative Perspectives on Law and Justice, vol 16. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-4510-0_4
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