Indigenous justice in Ecuador: purposes, procedure, structure and its scope within the control of criminality

Abstract

This research aims to demonstrate the differences between indigenous justice and the Ecuadorian legal system, in order to understand their interrelation in resolving state-level conflicts. Additionally, it proposes to illustrate the indigenous justice process and compare it with the ordinary justice process, as certain principles and values inherent in the former are of significant importance for the rehabilitation and reintegration of individuals into the community and the surrounding environment, as well as for understanding the origins of criminality. Furthermore, it seeks to highlight the main obstacles to achieving fully autonomous indigenous rights at both national and international levels, while also analyzing the importance of indigenous justice in preserving the culture and traditions of indigenous peoples in Ecuador.

Keywords Indigenous justice, Sumak Kawsay, Constitution of Ecuador, criminality, Pachamama, indigenous culture.