Table of contents
I INTRODUCTION OF THE CASE AND PURPOSE OF THE DISPUTE .......................................... 4
II PROCEEDINGS BEFORE THE COURT................................................................................... 5
III COMPETENCE ................................................................................................................... 6
IV PARTIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RESPONSIBILITY BY THE STATE ................................. 6
A. Partial acknowledgement of responsibility by the State and observations of the
Commission and the representatives ................................................................................. 6
B.
Considerations of the Court ........................................................................................ 8
V PRELIMINARY OBJECTIONS ............................................................................................... 9
VI EVIDENCE ....................................................................................................................... 11
A.
Documentary, testimonial, and expert evidence ....................................................... 11
B.
Admission of the evidence ........................................................................................ 13
VII PROVEN FACTS ............................................................................................................. 14
A.
Context ..................................................................................................................... 15
1. The referendum called on April 7, 1997, and the amendments to the Constitution enacted on
July 23, 1997 ...................................................................................................... 15
2. The Constitution adopted by the National Constituent Assembly in 1998.……. .................... 16
3. The appointment of the members of the Constitutional Tribunal in 2003 .......................... 17
B. The termination of the members of the Constitutional Tribunal owing to the
presumed illegality of the way they were appointed during the session of November 25,
2003 ................................................................................................................................ 19
C.
Facts related to the impeachment of some members of the Constitutional Tribunal . 23
1. Processing of the impeachments under the laws in force at the time of the facts ........... Error!
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2. Rulings of the Constitutional Tribunal No. 0004-2003-TC of April 29, 2003, and No. 025-2003TC of February 17, 2004, ........................................................................................ 25
3. The motions of censure against the members of the Constitutional Tribunal ...................... 26
4. The vote on the motions of censure in the impeachment proceeding of December 1, 2004…. 28
5. The vote on the motions of censure during the session of December 8, 2004 .................... 30
D. The Constitutional Tribunal’s decision on the inadmissibility of actions for amparo
against decisions of Congress .......................................................................................... 33
E.
Refusal to admit the remedies of amparo filed by several members of the
Constitutional Tribunal who were terminated .................................................................. 34
F.
Events following the dismissals from the high courts of Ecuador .............................. 36
VIII
JUDICIAL GUARANTEES, THE PRINCIPLE OF LEGALITY, POLITICAL RIGHTS,
DOMESTIC LEGAL EFFECTS, EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW, AND JUDICIAL PROTECTION ..... 39
A.
Arguments of the Commission and of the parties ..................................................... 39
1. Arguments on judicial independence, competence, and political rights ............................. 39
2. Arguments on the nature of the termination decision .................................................. 41
3. Arguments on the scope of the judicial guarantees established in Article 8 of the American
Convention ......................................................................................................... 42
4. Arguments on the right to a hearing and the right of defense ........................................ 42
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