In re Access to Emergency Contraception in Ecuador / Amici (Constitutional Tribunal of Ecuador)

In 2005, anti-choice organizations in Ecuador filed a suit to outlaw emergency contraception, alleging that EC violates the right to life as established in the Ecuadorian constitution. As a result of their lawsuit, a lower court banned distribution of EC, and the Ministry of Health appealed this decision. The Center, in collaboration with the Latin American and Caribbean Committee for the Defense of Women’s Rights (CLADEM), submitted an amicus brief in March 2005 supporting the Ministry of Health’s decision.

Filing date: Amicus brief filed in March 2005

Country/Region: , Ecuador

Center Attorney(s): , Luisa Cabal and Lilian Sepúlveda

Partners: CLADEM-Ecuador

Summary: Using examples from diverse countries, our brief argues that banning the sale and distribution of EC would be contrary to international human rights law and medical fact, and would violate the rights of Ecuadorian women to autonomy in reproductive decision-making and the right to have access to a range of safe and effective contraceptive methods.

On May 24, 2006, the Constitutional Tribunal of Ecuador declared the distribution of EC unconstitutional, holding that EC violates the right to life as established in the Ecuadorian Constitution.