This Friday, February 18, 2022, the hearing was held to deal with the Protection Action requested by the member of the Council of the Judiciary (CJ) Álvaro Román, to declare the unconstitutionality of the appointment of Fausto Murillo as president of the Judiciary.
Román assures that after the resignation of María del Carmen Maldonado to the presidency of the CJ, he should assume the position. However, at the hearing the judge rejected the protection action. “I am a citizen subject to rights and I am going to use the legal resources that I have, in this case the appeal,” Román told LA HORA.
According to Román, his rights are being violated, since he should have been the President of the CJ for three years. His argument is that Murillo’s appointment is illegal, despite the fact that he received the support of the majority of the councilors. Judge Paúl Navarrete assured that there is no such violation of rights.
«What I want to make clear is that I do not want conflicts, my desire is not to stay in that position. I am not fighting for power, I just want the law to be enforced and democracy to be restored,” Román said.
Murillo also spoke, he did it through his Twitter account
Judge Paúl Narvaez has rejected the protection action of the substitute member Álvaro Román, in application of art. 179 of the Constitution. This decision reaffirms the legitimacy of the action taken by the Plenary of the #CJon February 3, when he appointed me as President of the institution.
– Fausto Murillo Fierro (@FaustoMurilloEC) February 18, 2022
Now, Román will go to new judicial instances to continue with his process of trying to remove Fausto Murillo. “From the beginning I have been honest with my discomfort with this unconstitutionality. And for that, I will follow the legal paths to appeal today’s resolution.”