Ecuador’s Legal System — an Immigrant-Friendly Explainer (with Canada comparison)

Audience: Immigrants/expats who are used to other legal systems (especially Canada).
Scope: A practical overview of how Ecuador’s system generally works, with extra clarity on denuncias and the police–prosecutor relationship.

0) The “30-second” big picture

Ecuador is a civil-law country: the main rules are found in written laws and codes (Constitution + “codes” for criminal, civil, administrative matters), and lawyers/judges argue from those texts. (nyulawglobal.org)
Canada is bijural: most provinces and territories use common law for private law, while Quebec uses civil law for private law; federal law operates across the whole country. (Ministère de la Justice)
In Ecuador’s criminal system, a key constitutional idea is that the Fiscalía (public prosecution service) directs the criminal investigation, and police investigators work within that prosecutorial direction.

1) Common law vs civil law — what that means in real life

Ecuador: civil law (code-first)

Written codes are primary. Judges and lawyers begin with the Constitution and codes (for criminal matters, the COIP is central). (nyulawglobal.org)
Court decisions matter, but the legal culture is more “article-driven” than precedent-driven. (Immigrants often notice more formal references to articles and written procedure.)

Canada: common law (mostly), plus Quebec civil law (private law)

In the common-law tradition, past decisions (precedent) play a major role alongside statutes. (Ministère de la Justice)
Canada’s system is explicitly bijural (common law + civil law in the federal framework). (Ministère de la Justice)

Practical takeaway:
In Ecuador, you’ll often hear “what article says” first; in Canada, you’ll often hear “what the statute says + what the courts have already decided.”

2) The main institutions in Ecuador (who is who)

The Judiciary (Función Judicial)

The Judicial Council (Consejo de la Judicatura) runs major online services, including the official case lookup (“Consulta de procesos”). (Función Judicial)

The Public Prosecutor’s Office (Fiscalía General del Estado)

Ecuador’s Constitution states that the Fiscalía directs pre-trial and trial-stage criminal investigation and, if warranted, accuses before the competent judge.
Fiscalía describes itself as an autonomous institution that directs criminal investigation. (Fiscalía General del Estado)

Public Defense (Defensoría Pública)

Ecuador’s Constitution describes the Defensoría Pública as an autonomous body providing free legal representation and advice for people who cannot afford private counsel.

Special/parallel justice: Indigenous justice + ADR

The Constitution recognizes Indigenous jurisdiction within its territorial scope, subject to constitutional and human-rights limits.
The Constitution also recognizes arbitration and mediation and other alternative dispute resolution methods where the matter can be settled.

3) The “roles” immigrants most need to understand (Ecuador vs Canada)

A) Police (Police are important — but not the “owner” of the case)

This is the point that surprises many immigrants:

In Ecuador, the Fiscalía is the authority that directs the criminal investigation; police investigators support and execute investigative actions within that framework.
The Constitution even specifies that Fiscalía organizes and directs an integral investigation system that includes investigative and forensic components.

So what does police do in practice?

Immediate response, public safety, initial information gathering, preservation of evidence, and investigative work—but the criminal file and formal progress generally sits under the Fiscalía’s prosecutorial direction.

Canada comparison:
Police investigate and write reports; prosecutors (Crown) decide how to proceed in court. Canada also emphasizes that prosecutors pursue justice, not just convictions. (Public Prosecution Service of Canada)

B) Prosecutors (Fiscalía in Ecuador; Crown in Canada)

Ecuador (Fiscalía):

Directs the investigation and exercises public criminal action under constitutional rules.

Canada (Crown):

Canadian prosecution services describe Crown counsel as quasi “ministers of justice”: their primary interest is to pursue justice, not merely secure convictions. (Public Prosecution Service of Canada)

C) Judges

Ecuador:

Judges oversee hearings and guarantees, authorize certain measures, and decide cases based on the Constitution and codes/procedure.
In Units of Flagrancia, justice services can run continuously and receive certain urgent criminal complaints. (Función Judicial)

Canada:

Judges interpret statutes and develop common law through precedent in many areas. (Ministère de la Justice)

D) Lawyers (private) and public defenders

You do not need a lawyer to file a denuncia in Ecuador, and the procedure is described as free, but legal counsel may be crucial once a case becomes complex. (Fiscalía General del Estado)
If you can’t afford representation, Ecuador’s Defensoría Pública exists to provide free legal services for eligible people.

4) The most important immigrant reality: How denuncias work

What is a “denuncia”?

A denuncia is the formal act of reporting an alleged crime so it can be registered and assigned for investigation. Ecuador’s Fiscalía procedures emphasize the formal registration step: you receive a printed Noticia del Delito (NDD) tied to the Fiscalía unit that will investigate. (Fiscalía General del Estado)

The immigrant surprise (especially for Canadians)

In Canada, many people experience the process as: police take your report → you get a report/occurrence number.
In Ecuador, for many common crimes—especially non-flagrant theft or assaults—people often find that they must take the step to formalize the denuncia through Fiscalía (or a Flagrancia unit when applicable). Official Fiscalía guidance describes where and how to do this. (Fiscalía General del Estado)

Important nuance:
It’s not that police “do nothing.” Police may respond, assist, and investigate. But the formal complaint intake and the criminal file’s forward motion are commonly anchored in Fiscalía’s system, and you may be directed to complete that process.

5) Step-by-step: How to create a denuncia (official workflow)

A) For “common crimes” (generally non-flagrant)

Fiscalía’s “delitos comunes” procedure says to: (Fiscalía General del Estado)

Go to the nearest Servicio de Atención Integral (SAI)
Present the denuncia orally or in writing
Do signature recognition (firma y rúbrica)
Receive the printed NDD with the assigned Fiscalía unit

What you need (per Fiscalía):

Your cédula/ID
No lawyer is required
The process is free (Fiscalía General del Estado)

B) If the crime is “flagrante” (immediate / within 24 hours)

Fiscalía provides a specific “Unidades de Flagrancia” route (and a separate “hechos flagrantes” procedure page). (Fiscalía General del Estado)

You go to a Flagrancia unit, give your account, and Fiscalía personnel guide the steps; if the case involves certain violence claims, Fiscalía notes exams/pericias may be arranged. (Fiscalía General del Estado)
The procedural steps again include denunciation and (if applicable) signature recognition and giving your statement. (Fiscalía General del Estado)

The Judicial Branch also describes Flagrancia units as continuous justice services that can receive denuncias for certain criminal matters (examples listed on their page). (Función Judicial)

C) Theft/robbery: online start (but you still usually must “finish” it)

Fiscalía has an online intake tool for robo/hurto, but it states that you must go to the corresponding Fiscalía dependency for signature recognition, and then you receive the printed NDD. (Fiscalía General del Estado)

D) If you are in danger (don’t “paperwork” first)

For gender-based violence, Fiscalía’s page is explicit about calling emergency services and directs victims to Flagrancia when within 24 hours. (Fiscalía General del Estado)
Even outside that specific context, the common-sense rule holds: safety first, then formalize the denuncia.

6) What to bring and how to write your denuncia (practical checklist)

To avoid delays, prepare:

Your ID, phone number, and email (Fiscalía’s online robbery/theft procedure lists contact details as required). (Fiscalía General del Estado)
A short factual narrative: who, what, when, where, how
Evidence: photos, receipts, serial numbers, CCTV locations, witness names/contacts
Medical documents if there are injuries (and ask what official exams are required)

Always ask for and keep your NDD / case reference, because that’s what ties you to the file in the Fiscalía workflow. (Fiscalía General del Estado)

7) Why this “police vs Fiscalía” distinction matters so much

Because Ecuador’s Constitution places the direction of the criminal investigation in the Fiscalía, your case’s progress often depends on whether it has been properly registered and assigned within Fiscalía (NDD) and whether investigative steps have been ordered.

This is why some immigrants report:

“Police came, but nothing happened afterward.”
Often what’s missing is not “police interest,” but the victim’s completion of the formal denuncia path through Fiscalía/SAI (or Flagrancia if applicable), which creates the trackable case record. (Fiscalía General del Estado)

8) Tracking a case: where people look it up

If you have the necessary identifiers, Ecuador’s Judicial Council provides official “Consulta de procesos” tools for judicial proceedings. (Consultas Función Judicial)

(Important: a denuncia/NDD is not always the same as a court process number; some matters may not reach a judicial stage immediately.)

9) Final comparison snapshot (Ecuador vs Canada)

Ecuador

Civil law: codes + constitution are primary. (nyulawglobal.org)
Fiscalía constitutionally directs criminal investigation.
Denuncia often means: you must go to Fiscalía (SAI) or Flagrancia and obtain an NDD. (Fiscalía General del Estado)
Public Defense is constitutionally designed to provide free legal services to those who cannot pay.

Canada

Common law tradition relies on precedent, and Canada is bijural (civil law in Quebec private law). (Ministère de la Justice)
Prosecution services emphasize the prosecutor’s duty is to pursue justice, not just convictions. (Public Prosecution Service of Canada)
Reporting often begins with police reports; criminal law is federal, while administration of justice is shared with provinces/territories. (Ministère de la Justice)

Disclaimer

This explainer was produced by ChatGPT and may contain errors, omissions, or oversimplifications. It is not legal advice. Procedures can vary by city, by the type of offense, and by the stage of the case. For any real situation, consult a qualified Ecuadorian attorney or Ecuador’s Defensoría Pública, and verify steps through official Fiscalía/Judicial Council channels.

End summary (English + Spanish)

English (summary)

Ecuador is a civil-law system where written codes and the Constitution are central. In criminal matters, the Constitution assigns the Fiscalía the role of directing investigations, with police investigators operating within that prosecutorial framework. A major practical difference for immigrants is that many cases require the person to formalize the denuncia through Fiscalía (SAI or Flagrancia) to obtain an NDD and start a trackable process; online intake exists for some theft/robbery cases but still requires signature recognition. Canada, by contrast, is bijural (common law plus Quebec civil law for private matters) and places strong emphasis on precedent and on prosecutors’ duty to pursue justice rather than convictions.

Español (resumen)

Ecuador funciona bajo un sistema de derecho civil, donde la Constitución y los códigos escritos son la base. En materia penal, la Constitución establece que la Fiscalía dirige la investigación, y la policía actúa dentro de ese marco. Para muchos inmigrantes, la gran diferencia práctica es que suele ser necesario formalizar la denuncia en Fiscalía (SAI o Flagrancia) para obtener una Noticia del Delito (NDD) y que el caso quede registrado y se pueda dar seguimiento; en robo/hurto existe registro en línea, pero normalmente requiere reconocimiento de firma. Canadá, en cambio, es bijurídico (common law y derecho civil en Quebec para materias privadas) y suele apoyarse más en precedentes judiciales, además de enfatizar que la Fiscalía/Crown busca justicia, no solo condenas.