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ECOWAS Court seeks improved enforcement and accessibility for regional justice
At the 2026 Annual International Conference of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Dakar, Senegal, legal experts and judicial leaders addressed the critical challenge of enforcing court judgments across West Africa.
Dr. Tony Anene-Maidoh, former Chief Registrar of the court, emphasized that diplomatic engagement is a vital tool for ensuring member state compliance. He suggested that ECOWAS political institutions, including the Authority of Heads of State and the Council of Ministers, must take a more active role in monitoring and encouraging the implementation of judicial decisions.
Addressing the enforcement gap, Court President Hon. Justice Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Gonçalves called on journalists to use their platforms to hold governments accountable. He noted that current compliance levels are below expectations, as the court relies on member states to execute judgments through domestic civil procedures.
Professor Ernest Kofi Abotsi of the University of Professional Studies, Accra, advocated for reforms to make the court more accessible to citizens. He proposed innovative methods, such as adopting epistolary jurisdiction—allowing letters or emails to trigger human rights reviews—to better serve traders, farmers, and other West Africans whose lives are impacted by regional integration.
Entities
ECOWAS Court of Justice · Economic Community of West African States · Ernest Kofi Abotsi · Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Gonçalves · Tony Anene-Maidoh
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The level of compliance with ECOWAS Court judgments by member states is below expectations. www.thisdaylive.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Diplomatic engagement with Member States is essential for the enforcement of ECOWAS Court judgments.
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The Court is urging journalists to use media platforms to hold member states accountable for implementing court decisions. www.thisdaylive.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] Under Article 24 of the Court’s Supplementary Protocol, enforcement relies on member states following domestic civil procedure rules. www.thisdaylive.com
- [○ 1 SOURCE] The ECOWAS Court should implement reforms to make regional justice more accessible to ordinary citizens. www.myjoyonline.com