The Lagos chief judge, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has decried the difficulty of enforcing the judgements of the ECOWAS Court in sovereign states with diverse political climates.
Mr Alogba stated this when ECOWAS Court president Justice Ricardo Gonçalves paid him a courtesy visit in Lagos.
Mr Alogba lauded the ECOWAS Court for its high standards of jurisprudence and its commitment to justice in the sub-region.
“The existence of judicial bodies like the ECOWAS Court plays a vital role in ensuring legal accountability and curbing impunity, even when direct enforcement mechanisms are limited,” Mr Alogba said.
Mr Gonçalves explained that the visit was part of the court’s sensitisation campaign and preparations for its upcoming external court sessions scheduled to take place from May 5-7 and May 8-16, respectively, in Lagos.
The court’s president added that the events aimed at increasing public awareness about the court’s role and improving access to regional justice.
He said the recent withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger from ECOWAS had reduced the number of the court’s participating states from 15 to 12, describing the development as regrettable.
While affirming the court’s continued commitment to its mandate, Mr Gonçalves outlined its core jurisdiction as human rights protection, which represented over 80 per cent of its caseload.
The president listed the court’s other mandates as the interpretation and application of ECOWAS legal instruments, disputes involving community civil servants, and advisory legal opinions to ECOWAS institutions.
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