only... on 4 May 2006, that the same Investigating Magistrate heard the widow of Norbert Zongo as part of the civil suit for the first time’. 145. At the Public Hearing of 29 November 2013, the Applicants maintained that when murder is committed in the territory of a State, the State in question has the responsibility to ensure that investigations are conducted. Such investigation must be independent, efficient and capable of apportioning responsibility for the murder. It must be conducted with reasonable speed, accessible and appropriate, particularly for the victims and for the sake of protection of the society. Taking issues with the absence of an independent investigation and the length of the procedure, the Applicants submitted that none of those responsible was identified, that of the six suspects identified by the enquiry, five were never prosecuted; and the remedies were not adequate for the victims and for protection of the society. 146. In its response on the merits, the Respondent State, after criticising the Applicants for being vague on the question of the right to seek recourse to a judge which was breached in this case, expressed the view that what “the State of Burkina Faso is being criticized for seems to boil down to its violating the right of everyone to be heard by competent national courts within reasonable time”. 147. As noted earlier, the Respondent maintained that it could not be held responsible for laxity or inaction on the part of its political, administrative and judicial organs. It further asserted that “the rights of the Applicants had been brought before competent, impartial and independent national courts, and this, within reasonable time and that they had benefited from an effective and efficient remedy’. 148. At the Public Hearing of 28 November 2013, the Respondent State noted that the Independent Commission of Enquiry chaired by the representative of the MBDHP, which is party to the instant case, concentrated on a single approach, which was to carry out investigations within Government circles , whereas, there were other avenues that could have been explored, such as the conflicts between Norbert Zongo and livestock graziers 41 he (YP — “ ys ®