The President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cl\u00e1udio Monteiro, has urged member states to intensify efforts in enforcing the court\u2019s judgments and upholding the rule of law, warning that the court\u2019s authority and effectiveness hinge on collective commitment across the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that despite the legally binding nature of the court\u2019s decisions under Article 15(4) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, enforcement remains low among member states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Monteiro issued the call in his closing remarks at the end of the inaugural Meeting of Competent National Authorities responsible for the enforcement of ECOWAS Court judgments, held in Lagos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The high-level, two-day meeting convened national legal representatives and justice sector leaders from across West Africa to explore strategies for strengthening compliance with the Court\u2019s decisions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a deep sense of accomplishment, and a measure of nostalgia, we draw the curtain on this landmark gathering,\u201d Justice Monteiro said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis meeting has not only marked a new beginning, but has also laid the foundation for stronger collaboration between the court and national authorities.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Held under the theme \u201cEnhancing the Role, Relevance, and Effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice: Strengthening Synergies Between the Court and Competent National Authorities\u201d, the conference focused on ways to address persistent challenges surrounding the enforcement of the court\u2019s judgments, an issue Justice Monteiro described as a \u201ccritical concern.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He noted that despite the legally binding nature of the court\u2019s decisions under Article 15(4) of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty, enforcement remains low among member states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice hinges on the goodwill and commitment of Member States,\u201d he said, invoking the principle of \u2018pacta sunt servanda\u2019 \u2013 that agreements must be kept, as fundamental to both international law and regional cooperation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Monteiro called on member states that have yet to designate a Competent National Authority for the receipt and execution of judgments, as required by Article 24(4) of the Court\u2019s Supplementary Protocol, to do so without further delay.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He also underscored the urgent need for domestication of the ECOWAS Revised Treaty and the Court\u2019s Protocols into national legal systems, especially in dualist jurisdictions where international instruments lack automatic domestic effect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without domestication, the enforceability of the Court\u2019s judgments is significantly hindered,\u201d he warned, urging legislative action to bridge this gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the technical sessions, participants identified practical and actionable steps to improve compliance, including enhanced technical capacity, harmonization of national enforcement procedures, and better coordination between the court and domestic judicial institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Justice Monteiro praised the atmosphere of openness and innovation throughout the discussions, noting that the meeting had \u201cstrengthened the bonds of cooperation\u201d and moved the court closer to ensuring that its decisions bring real justice to the people of West Africa.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe Community Court of Justice is a cornerstone of our integration process,\u201d he emphasized. \u201cBy reinforcing its authority, we uphold the rule of law and promote the fundamental rights of our citizens.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In his closing acknowledgments, Justice Monteiro thanked all delegates, the organizing committee, interpreters, rapporteurs, and media representatives for their contributions to the meeting\u2019s success. He concluded on a hopeful note: \u201cMay our shared commitment to justice and cooperation continue to inspire and guide our work in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cl\u00e1udio Monteiro, has urged member states to intensify efforts in enforcing the court\u2019s judgments and upholding the rule of law, warning that the court\u2019s authority and effectiveness hinge on collective commitment across the region. He noted that despite the legally binding nature of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":13,"featured_media":48710,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_hide_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_featured_image_duplicate_dismissed":0,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-89380","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t