Legal pluralism and the continuing quest for legal certainty in Ecuador: A case study from the Andean Highlands
Palavras-chave:
Legal pluralism, customary law, internal restrictions, Pluralismo jurídico, derecho consuetudinario, restricciones internasResumo
In 1998 Ecuador constitutionally recognised the use of customary law alongside national law, through which a situation of formal (de jure) legal pluralism came into being. However, rules that would define the personal, territorial and material jurisdiction of both forms of law have never been approved and no case law has yet been developed. There is still no general agreement regarding the proper scope to be granted indigenous authorities for the administration of customary law. The purpose of this article is to shed light on that ongoing challenge by focusing on its practical implications at the local level. Starting with an historical overview of how legal pluralism has been dealt with over the last 500 years, this article proceeds to examine the contemporary situation, including an interpretation of a recent homicide which occurred in the indigenous parish of Zumbahua. The indigenous proceedings in this case support this article’s thesis that the absence of coordinating rules, and the resulting legal uncertainty, may be leading to increasingly punitive measures by indigenous authorities.
En 1998 Ecuador reconoció constitucionalmente el uso del derecho consuetudinario a la par que la legislación nacional. Así, entró en vigor una situación de pluralismo legal formal (de jure). Sin embargo, nunca se ha aprobado la normativa que defina la jurisdicción personal, territorial y material de ambas formas de derecho, y todavía no se ha desarrollado jurisprudencia al respecto. Todavía no se ha llegado a un acuerdo general en lo que respecta al alcance adecuado, de forma que se garantice a las autoridades indígenas la administración del derecho consuetudinario. El propósito de este artículo es arrojar luz sobre esta situación, centrándose en sus implicaciones prácticas en el ámbito local. Empezando por un análisis histórico del pluralismo jurídico en los últimos 500 años, este artículo pasa a analizar la situación contemporánea, incluyendo la interpretación de un homicidio reciente ocurrido en la parroquia indígena de Zumbahua. Las medidas indígenas frente a este acto apoyan la tesis del artículo; la ausencia de normas coordinadas, y la inseguridad jurídica resultante podrían dar lugar a un aumento de medidas punitivas por parte de las autoridades indígenas.
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