On April 4, 2007, the Ecuadorian Constitutional Tribunal upheld the dismissal of 57 members of the country's legislature, overruling an earlier decision that would have required that the legislators be reinstated by the Supreme Electoral Tribunal. The legislators were dismissed in response to their disapproval of a constitutional referendum offered by President Rafael Correa. This ruling eventually set off a constitutional crisis within the country, with the Constitutional Tribunal reversing their own decision, only to be removed by Correa's supporters in the Ecuador Congress and replaced with sympathetic judges. The constitutional referendum was ultimately adopted with overwhelming public support in 2008.

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Learn more about Rafael Correa and the Ecuadorian Constitution from the JURIST news archive.

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