Mexico's Supreme Court has the chance to strengthen civilian control over its Armed Forces: judgment pending on the limits of military jurisdiction in Mexico

* In coming weeks, Mexico's Supreme Court (SCJN) will resolve a case under its revision (989/2009), in which it is argued that military jurisdiction should not be used to investigate and prosecute cases in which civilians have suffered human rights violations at the hands of members of the armed forces 

* 26 human rights organizations from 13 countries of the region, the Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic and the International Commission of Jurists have respectively submitted three amicus curiae documents to the Mexican Supreme Court in the case of Santiago de Caballeros. These specialist legal documents affirm before the SCJN that international law prohibits the application of military jurisdiction to cases of human rights violations

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Three different Amicus Curiae have been delivered to the Mexican Supreme Court by the Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic, the International Commission of Jurists, and 26 other organizations for the case Santiago de Caballeros.

These organizations declare that under international law, the use of military jurisdiction for cases of human rights violations is prohibited. 

AMICUS CURIAE,  Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic: International standards of the Inter-American Human Rights System for military jurisdiction - June 2009

AMICUS CURIAE, International Commission of Jurists - June 2009

AMICUS CURIAE, jointly presented by 26 different human rights organizations and clinics of the Americas, such as the Colombian Commission of Jurists (Colombia), the Centre for Legal and Social Studies (Argentina) and the Institute for Legal Defensa (Peru) - June 2009

*Once again, Mexican authorities shown their inefficiency to investigate, process and punish those responsible of the grave human rights violations ocurred on 3 and 4 May 2006 in Texcoco and San Salvador Atenco

* The only police officer that had been sentenced for human rights violations against the women, was acquitted of charges

* A complete lack of access to justice is confirmed for women suffering violations of their human rights in Mexico

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