ART. 122. No habrá Comandantes generales territoriales, ni Comandantes militares, en tiempo de paz. ART. 123. La fuerza pública no se puede aumentar ni renovar sino conforme á la ley. El reclutamiento es un crímen que da acción á todos, para ante los jueces y el Congreso, contra el que lo orde nare. TÍTULO XVII. PODER JUDICIAL. ART. 124. La justicia será administrada por los tribunales y juzgados, en el modo y forma que las leyes determinen. ART. 125. Habrá en la capital de la República una Corte Suprema; en las de Departamento y en las de Provincia, Cortes Superiores y juzgados de primera instancia, respectivamente, á juicio del Congreso; y en todas las poblaciones juzgados de paz. El número de juzgados de primera instancia en las provincias, y el de juzgados de paz en las poblaciones, se designará por una ley. ART. 126. Los Vocales y Fiscales de la Corte Suprema serán nombrados por el Congreso, á propuesta en terna doble del Poder Ejecutivo; los Vocales y Fiscales de las Cortes Superiores serán nombrados por el Ejecutivo, á propuesta en terna doble de la Corte Suprema; y los jueces de primera instancia y Agentes Fiscales, á propuesta en terna doble de las respectivas Cortes Superiores. ART. 122. There shall not be in time of peace any territorial commandants general or military commandants. ART. 123. The public force shall not be increased or renewed, except in conformity with the law. Recruiting is a crime, the prosecution of which may be undertaken by all citizens, before the judges and before Congress, against whoever ordered it. TITLE XVII. THE JUDICIAL POWER. ART. 124. Justice shall be administered by the tribunals and courts in the mode and form determined by law. ART. 125. In the capital of the Republic there shall be a supreme court of justice. In the Departments and provinces there shall be superior courts, and courts of first instance, as Congress may determine; and in all towns justices of the peace. The number of courts of first instance in the provinces and of justices of the peace in the towns shall be designated by law. ART. 126. The judges and prosecuting officers of the supreme court shall be appointed by the Congress from among six names submitted by the Executive power. The judges and prosecuting officers of the superior courts shall be appointed by the Executive from among six names submitted by the supreme court. The judges and prosecuting officers of the courts of first instance shall be appointed from among six names submitted by the respective superior courts. ART. 127. Publicity is essential in all trials. The tribunals may discuss in secret, but their votes shall be given in a loud voice and in public. The decisions shall state the grounds or the provision of law on which they are based. REPUBLIC OF ECUADOR. HISTORICAL NOTES. The period of Spanish rule in Ecuador was terminated on May 24, 1822, at the famous battle of Pichincha. Five days thereafter the solemn declaration was made at Quito, amid public demonstrations of rejoicing, that the old Kingdom of Quito was and should forever continue to be an integral part of the Republic of Colombia. Early in 1830 Ecuador, following the example of Venezuela, withdrew from the Colombian Union and became a free and independent State." A congress which met at Riobamba on August 14, 1830, framed and promulgated the first constitution of "The Republic of Ecuador." A second constitution was framed and promulgated at Ambato on June 22, 1835, after which date the Constitutions of 1843, 1846, 1861, 1869, 1884, and 1897, respectively, were adopted. The latter is the one now in force. a Ecuador was called "The Kingdom of Quito" (El Reino de Quito) until 1564. Subsequently it was called The Presidency of Quito (La Presidencia de Quito). 277 CONSTITUTION. (January 12, 1897.) La Asamblea Nacional en nombre y por autoridad del pueblo ecuatoriano decreta la siguiente Constitución Política de la República del Ecuador: TÍTULO I. DE LA NACIÓN ECUATORIANA. ARTÍCULO 1. La Nación ecuatoriana se compone de todos los ecuatorianos reunidos bajo el imperio de unas mismas leyes. ART. 2. El territorio de la Nación ecuatoriana comprende el de las Provincias que formaban la antigua Presidencia de Quito y el del archipiélago de Colón, antes Galápagos. Los límites se fijarán definitivamente por tratados con las naciones vecinas. ART. 3. La República es libre, indivisible é independiente de todo poder extranjero. ART. 4. El Gobierno del Ecuador es popular, electivo, representativo, alternativo y responsable. Se distribuye en tres poderes: Legislativo, Ejecutivo y Judicial. Cada uno ejerce las atribuciones que le señala esta Constitución, sin excederse de los límites por ella prescritos. ART. 5. La soberanía reside esencialmente en la Nación, la que la delega á las autoridades que esta Constitución establece. The National Assembly, in the name and by authority of the Ecuadorian people, decrees the following political Constitution of the Republic of Ecuador: TITLE I. THE ECUADORIAN NATION. ARTICLE 1. The Ecuadorian Nation consists of all the Ecuadorians united under laws identical for all of them. ART. 2. The territory of the Ecuadorian Nation embraces all the provinces which formerly constituted the Presidency of Quito, and the Archipelago of Colon, formerly called Galapagos. The limits shall be finally fixed by treaties with the bordering nations. ART. 3. The Republic is free, indivisible and independent of all foreign power. ART. 4. The Government of Ecuador is popular, elective, representative, alternative and responsible. It is distributed among three powers, namely, legislative, executive and judicial. Each one is vested with the authority given to it by this Constitution, and shall not exceed the limits established by it. ART. 5. The sovereignty is essentially vested in the Nation, which delegates it to the authorities established by this Constitution. |