The Escuela de Derecho y Ciencia Política UIS held the “Discussion of Rulings from the Administrative Tribunal of Santander: Rafael Gutiérrez Solano – Gender-based Violence within the Context of Domestic Violence.”
Judge Iván Fernando Prada Macías from the Administrative Tribunal of Santander presented to undergraduate students and professors the facts, the legal issue, the actions of the authorities, the rulings in the first and second instance, among other aspects of a domestic violence case.
Regarding the initiative led by the Universidad Industrial de Santander through The Escuela de Derecho y Ciencia Política UIS, Judge Prada Macías highlighted, “I believe that cases like the one we discussed reveal the failures of the State in handling the protection of women’s rights. Seeing that new generations of lawyers are embracing this issue will undoubtedly lead to change. From the roles they will play in the future, they can indeed become a factor of change in society, in public institutions, in developing this issue in the public agenda that is currently needed, and taking appropriate action.”
He added that during the session, the budgetary issues faced by judicial bodies were addressed, stating, “It is important but cannot be an excuse for the State to fail in its role of protecting women’s rights and guaranteeing them a life free from violence”.
Through questions, the attendees expressed their observations and concerns about the particular circumstances of the case discussed in this new session, organized by the Grupo de Litigio Estratégico «Carlos Gaviria Díaz», the Consultorio Jurídico y Centro de Conciliación from the Escuela de Derecho y Ciencia Política UIS.
Laura Ramos Amaya, a ninth-semester law student, commented on this experience, “It is very important for people, new professionals preparing to practice in the country, to recognize the importance of a gender perspective so they can apply it to cases and avoid the re-victimization that usually occurs in judicial processes due to the lack of information and training on these topics and the advances currently developed, ensuring that the human rights recognized for women are guaranteed.”
Paola Marcela Silva Pérez, a professor in the gender transversal line of the Consultorio Jurídico y Centro de Conciliación y de la Clínica Jurídica «Carlos Gaviria Díaz» summarized the activity by stating, “It was a well-received session by the students and the institutions that came to ask questions and learn about these topics. We analyzed a very raw, very difficult ruling, where more could have been done by the institutions to guarantee a life free from violence for women. I believe it was a session that left us with many reflections on the role of students and legal clinics in cases of gender-based violence.”
Finally, she added, “We thank and invite the institutions to continue attending these sessions because we will continue to discuss rulings in 2024”.