Part II Means of Protection, Ch.VIII Inter-American Court of Human Rights, s.1 Organization, Article 54

This chapter addresses Article 54 of the American Convention on Human Rights (ACHR). Article 54 of the ACHR lays down the rules applicable to the conduct, duration, and renewal of a judge's term of office. Elected for a six-year term with the possibility of renewal once, the judges of the Inter-American Court enjoy a certain stability in their functions. Article 54 is divided into three paragraphs, which establish a fairly simple framework. In addition to the duration (six years), and the number of possible re-elections (one), the first paragraph includes a part which concerns the first formation of the court and which, therefore, has only an historical value. The second paragraph deals with the situation of the election of a judge to replace a fellow who has ceased to hold office before the end of their mandate. The third paragraph reflects a procedural continuity principle. Its purpose is to maintain a certain stability and permanence in the composition of the Court, which is necessarily modified at each election.