Ecuador Judiciary authorizes digital avatars for high-risk hearings

Ecuador's Council of the Judiciary has approved a new technical-operative protocol allowing the use of digital avatars during virtual hearings. This measure is intended to protect the identity of judges and judicial officials in high-complexity and high-risk cases to ensure their safety against organized crime.

Mercedes Caicedo, president of the Council, stated that protecting judges is an indispensable condition for judicial independence. The Council maintains that the use of avatars will not compromise the validity of legal processes, transparency, or the right to defense.

However, the decision has faced criticism from legal experts. Some jurists argue that the protocol essentially creates "faceless judges," a concept previously rejected by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. Critics suggest that the measure may violate rights to an independent and impartial judge and argue that structural and technological solutions are needed instead of merely obscuring identities.