On 20 October 2026, the President of the Constitutional Court of Ecuador, Jhoel Escudero Soliz, and Judges Jorge Benavides Ordóñez and Richard Ortiz Ortiz held a debate with ICCAL researchers at Ibero-American Colloquium No. 356 of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law (MPIL). The discussion covered case law on economic, social, cultural and environmental rights (ESCER), standards of judicial independence, and the normative foundations and limits of states of emergency.

Armin von Bogdandy highlighted the relevance of constitutional courts for ICCAL, emphasizing the triad of “democracy, human rights and the rule of law.” In the debtate that followed, he also highlighted constitutional protection against abuse of power and the preservation of democratic order.

Openness to the Inter-American system

The visit holds particular significance for ICCAL. The Ecuadorian court stands out for its receptiveness to the Inter-American system: it systematically incorporates the case law of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and exercises conventionality control as an integral part of its function, all in accordance with the Constitution. Its decisions are enriched by judicial dialogue and by exchanges with academia. This exchange gives concrete form to the Latin American ius commune, whose strengthening is the project’s central focus.