Ecuador's Constitutional Court has accepted a constitutional complaint regarding the appointment of Chief Prosecutor Carlos Leonardo Alarcón by the Council of the Judiciary.
The Ecuadorian Constitutional Court (CC) has admitted a constitutional complaint against the appointment of Carlos Leonardo Alarcón as the Attorney General by the Council of the Judiciary. This complaint was filed on October 15, 2025, shortly after Alarcón's appointment on October 3, 2025. It aims to challenge the legality of this designation, raising questions about the process that led to Alarcón assuming this crucial role in the Ecuadorian legal system.
The demand was filed by Andrés Quishpe Ilguan, the president of the National Union of Educators (UNE), and acknowledges that a prior opinion from the Attorney General's Office, issued by prosecutor Juan Carlos Larrea, confirmed the Judiciary's power to temporarily appoint a prosecutor. This opinion was prompted by a request from former substitute prosecutor Wilson Toainga, who sought clarity regarding procedural matters in case of his temporary absence. The acceptance of this demand marks a significant step in addressing potential abuses in the appointment process within Ecuador's judicial institutions.
As the court reviews this case, it could have considerable implications for the future of Ecuador's judicial appointments, highlighting potential deficiencies in the current procedures and the balance of powers between various governmental entities. Such scrutiny may foster reforms in the Judiciary to ensure that appointments are made transparently and justly, aiming to restore public trust in the legal system amid concerns of political influence and irregularities in the such appointments.
