Compliance as an Effective Mechanism to Avoid Criminal Liability of Legal Entities in Ecuador

Main Article Content

Lenin Omar Mayanquer-Parra

Abstract

The article presents mechanisms for preventing corporate crime and mitigating the criminal liability of legal entities in Ecuador, while questioning their application in criminal procedural law and highlighting the normative challenges as well as the lack of clear regulation in the COIP, which generates legal uncertainty and divergent judicial criteria; it examines key aspects of the criminal process, including the need for precise guidelines regarding the burden of proof and the methods for verifying the effectiveness of compliance programs, alongside the stance of justice operators on treating mitigating factors as absolute exculpatory grounds; finally, it underscores the importance of legislative reform to ensure certainty in determining culpability and to foster a corporate compliance culture adapted to the specific risks of each entity, thereby consolidating compliance as an effective tool for preventing crimes and exonerating criminal liability, which would ultimately strengthen legal security and the fight against corporate crime in Ecuador.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Mayanquer-Parra, L. . (2025). Compliance as an Effective Mechanism to Avoid Criminal Liability of Legal Entities in Ecuador. 593 Digital Publisher CEIT, 10(4), 1180-1193. https://doi.org/10.33386/593dp.2025.4.3368
Section
Investigaciones /estudios empíricos
Author Biography

Lenin Omar Mayanquer-Parra, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica - Ecuador

mayanguer.jpg

Lawyer with experience in the financial sector, specializing in compliance. My career has allowed me to develop strong investigative skills, identifying and mitigating the various risks faced by financial institutions. This is crucial for preventing criminal liability and potential sanctions from regulatory bodies.

References

González Cussac, J. L. (2022). Responsabilidad penal de las personas jurídicas: El plano técnico-jurídico. Revista Científica de Ciencias Jurídicas, Criminología y Seguridad, Fiscalía General del Estado.

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). (2010). Good Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics and Compliance (Annex II). OECD Publishing.

U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). (2020). Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs. Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice.

Liñán Lafuente, A. (2022). El compliance penal en Ecuador: ¿prueba de cargo o de descargo para la persona jurídica? Revista Científica de Ciencias Jurídicas, Criminología y Seguridad, Fiscalía General del Estado.

U.S. Department of Justice. (2008). Siemens AG and Three Subsidiaries Plead Guilty to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Violations (Press Release). U.S. Department of Justice.

Pacheco, M. E. (2019). Revisiones procesales para un compliance basado en el modelo de responsabilidad penal en el Ecuador. Universidad Central del Ecuador.

Pazmiño Ruiz, J. R. (2022). La persona jurídica ante el proceso penal ecuatoriano: Una guía introductoria. Revista Científica de Ciencias Jurídicas, Criminología y Seguridad, Fiscalía General del Estado.

Neira Peña, M. (2017). El valor probatorio de los programas de cumplimiento en el proceso penal. Revista Electrónica de Ciencia Penal y Criminología, (19-12), 273-298.

García Cavero, P. (2018). Responsabilidad penal de las personas jurídicas y programas de cumplimiento en América Latina. Revista Derecho PUCP, (81), 57-94.

Rodríguez Tapia, B. (2022). Presentación: Responsabilidad Penal de Personas Jurídicas en Ecuador. Revista Científica de Ciencias Jurídicas, Criminología y Seguridad, Fiscalía General del Estado.

Velásquez Velásquez, F. (2020). Compliance penal y responsabilidad de las personas jurídicas: avances y desafíos en Iberoamérica. Bogotá: Editorial Ibáñez.

Pieth, M.; Ivory, R. (eds.). (2011). Corporate Criminal Liability: Emergence, Convergence, and Risk. Springer Science & Business Media.

Fiscalía General del Estado (2022). Perfil Criminológico: Responsabilidad Penal de Personas Jurídicas en Ecuador. Edición 32, Dirección de Estudios Penales.

Rodríguez Ramos, L. (2019). La exoneración de la responsabilidad penal de las personas jurídicas mediante programas de compliance en el derecho español. Revista General de Derecho Penal, (31), 1-25.