Judgement No 001-10-SIN-CC Country/Territory Ecuador Type of court National - higher court Date Mar 18, 2010 Source UNEP, InforMEA Court name Corte Constitucional Seat of court Quito Reference number 0008-09-IN y 0011-09-IN Language Spanish Subject Mineral resources Keyword Indigenous peoples Abstract The Ecuadorian Constitutional Court is asked to review the constitutionality of the 2009 mining law. The opponents of the 2009 mining law point out that it violates the rights for indigenous communities to be consulted on the use of natural resources on their territory as the law enshrines the freedom of prospection which allows anyone to prospect everywhere in Ecuador, indigenous territory included. Indigenous rights over their lands are protected by the chapter 4 of the constitution and by several international agreements ratified by Ecuador.Additionally, the mining law states that it prevails over any other laws. This was also seen as a ground for unconstitutionality as the constitution provides that only organic laws can be superior to ordinary laws and in this case, the mining law is an ordinary law. The court followed the argument of the opponents to the mining law and declared it unconstitutional on the basis that it was not respecting constitutional indigenous rights and the hierarchy of norms. Full text 001-10-SIN-CC.pdf