Lagos CJ decries difficulty in enforcing ECOWAS Court judgments

By Mark Longyen

The Chief Judge (CJ) of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, has decried the difficulty of enforcing the judgments of ECOWAS Court in sovereign states with diverse political climates.

Alogba made this

known when ECOWAS Court President, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, paid him a courtesy visit in Lagos, a statement issued on Thursday by ECOWAS Court’s spokesman, Felicien Hounkanrin, said.

Hounkanrin said that Alogba lauded the ECOWAS Court for its high standards of jurisprudence and its commitment to justice in the sub-region.

He said that the CJ acknowledged ECOWAS Court’s achievements, and stressed the need for continued collaboration and exchange between national and regional judicial bodies.

Alogba, however, emphasised that international charters must be respected once they were ratified by member states.

“The existence of judicial bodies like the ECOWAS Court play a vital role in ensuring legal accountability and curbing impunity, even when direct enforcement mechanisms are limited,” Alogba said.

Responding, Justice Gonçalves, who was accompanied by the court’s Vice President, Justice Sengu Koroma and the Chief Registrar, Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama, appreciated the CJ for the warm welcome and institutional support.

He 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, as well as 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, 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.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)