“Criminalization” of human rights?: Swings and paradoxes on the jurisprudence of Inter-American Court of Human Rights

The evolving relationship between international human rights law and criminal law is marked by a passage from a role of moderation to one of legitimization. While international human rights law was previously critical of criminal law as an instrument of state repression, the last few decades witness...

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Saucier Calderón, Jean-Paul, Mégret, Frédéric
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:Perú
Institución:Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Repositorio:Revistas - Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú
Idioma:español
OAI Identifier:oai:ojs.pkp.sfu.ca:article/18870
Acceso en línea:http://revistas.pucp.edu.pe/index.php/derechoysociedad/article/view/18870
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Human Rights
Amnesty
Penal law
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Impunity
Derechos humanos
Amnistía
Derecho penal
Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos
Impunidad
Descripción
Sumario:The evolving relationship between international human rights law and criminal law is marked by a passage from a role of moderation to one of legitimization. While international human rights law was previously critical of criminal law as an instrument of state repression, the last few decades witnessed a shift towards a victim-centred conception of criminal law as a means to protect and enforce certain human rights. This contrasts with a liberal conception of human rights as a check on the power of the state through the use of its criminal law authority. This development manifests itself through what may be dubbed the "criminalization” of Inter-American human rights law. This contribution explores this phenomenon of “criminalization” and its various illustrations, particularly through the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ discourse with respect to amnesty laws and prescription.