Council of the Judiciary approves protocol for remote hearings

The Plenary of the Council of the Judiciary unanimously approved Resolution 179-2026, which adopts the Protocol for the Conduct of Telematics Hearings, an instrument that regulates the holding of judicial proceedings via digital means throughout the Ecuadorian justice system. The decision was adopted during Extraordinary Session No. 125-2026, held on August 31, 2026, and was published in Supplement No. 366 of the Official Registry, from Quito, on Thursday, September 10, 2026, on page 16.

The resolution was signed by the president of the body, Dr. Mercedes Johanna Caicedo Aldaz, and by the members Mgs. Magaly Camila Ruiz Cajas, Ms. Alfredo Juvenal Cuadros Añazco, Mgs. Damián Alberto Larco Guamán, and Dr. Fabián Plinio Fabara Gallardo, with the certification of the general secretary, Mgs. Marco Antonio Cárdenas Chum. The protocol, with code DNGP-SNGPP-001-PROT in its version 1.0 of July 2026, was developed by the National Directorate of Procedural Management, under the direction of MSc. Denisse Cristina Coronel Márquez.

Scope and Legal Basis

The protocol is based on Article 4 of the General Organic Code of Processes and Article 565 of the Comprehensive Organic Criminal Code, which already permitted hearings via videoconference or other telematics means, as well as Article 21 of the Organic Law for Digital and Audiovisual Transformation, which requires hearings to be public and accessible to citizens. The regulation repeals any resolution or provision of equal or lower hierarchy that contradicts it.

The instrument responds to the Plenary’s mandate to establish technical tables to regulate telematics hearings in cases of national significance, organized crime, or those that jeopardize the integrity of the facilities and judicial servants. Its objectives include establishing guidelines for scheduling, defining the use of authorized platforms, and coordinating the virtual assistance of interpreters, witnesses, and experts.

Platforms and Technological Capacity

The Council of the Judiciary has two platforms for conducting telematics hearings, with the following capacities:

• Google Meet: 11,000 licenses, one for each jurisdictional and administrative servant nationwide; recommended for hearings of a general nature and lower procedural complexity.
• Zoom: 500 Enterprise Plus licenses, with CRC functionality to connect videoconference terminals from brands such as Radvision, Polycom, Cisco, and Logitech; recommended for hearings with public transmission or a high number of participants.

The protocol sets minimum technical requirements (dual-core processor, 8 GB of RAM, a connection of at least 2 Mbps symmetrical) and establishes that all meetings must be created with a password and a waiting room. Public broadcasting will be carried out through the Council’s official YouTube accounts at the provincial level and may be extended to platforms such as TikTok, Twitch, or Facebook following coordination with the provincial directorates.

Procedural guarantees and deadlines

The decision regarding the telematic or in-person modality shall be the exclusive competence of the reporting judge, who must guarantee immediacy, the right to defense, and the right to contradiction. Parties unable to connect due to technical reasons must communicate this at least 48 hours in advance, and the Council will provide spaces in judicial facilities to facilitate their participation. During the proceeding, an active camera, full identification of the participants, and a prohibition on recording or retransmitting through unofficial means are required.

The National Directorate of Procedural Management will socialize the content with all provincial directorates within five days, and the National Directorate of Social Communication will carry out mass dissemination within fifteen days from approval. The resolution entered into force upon its approval, without prejudice to its publication in the Official Registry.

Impact

With this regulation, the Council of the Judiciary consolidates the digitalization of the Ecuadorian justice service, extending telematic hearings beyond the health emergency and turning them into an ordinary and regulated modality. For litigants, the protocol guarantees access to justice and the publicity of proceedings, while for judicial operators, it sets clear rules for security, identity, and due process in a virtual environment.

Source: Official Registry of Ecuador, Supplement No. 366, September 10, 2026, p. 16 (official reference: Resolution 179-2026 of the Council of the Judiciary).