Ecuador Plans Contest For At Least 34 National Court Judges

Ecuador is preparing a new contest to appoint National Court judges.

The Judiciary Council approved the rules for the process, and the call for applicants is expected in August.

What Is Planned

The new regulation has 93 articles. The Judiciary Council expects Ecuador to have at least 34 new national magistrates appointed by February 2027.

The appointments are meant to cover the Contentious Administrative, Tax, Criminal, Civil, Labor, Family, Childhood, and Adolescence chambers.

How Candidates Will Be Scored

The selection process has eight phases.

Applicants will be scored out of 100 points: 50 for merit and 50 for opposition, which includes a theoretical test and a practical test.

Applicants must also submit sworn declarations and authorize access to financial and asset information as part of the process.

What This Means For Expats

This is not a visa rule change or a residency deadline. It matters because Ecuador’s higher courts shape tax, administrative, criminal, civil, labor, and family-law outcomes.

For foreign residents with businesses, property, employment disputes, or administrative cases, court capacity and judicial appointments are part of the background legal environment to watch through early 2027.