The President of the ECOWAS Court, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, has appealed to the governments of the ECOWAS member states to fully recognise the court’s authority and cooperate with it in enforcing the judgments from the court.
Declaring open the ECOWAS Court‘s 2025/2026 Legal Year celebration, with the theme: “ECOWAS Court and International Law: Expanding Access and Navigating Contemporary Challenges,” on Thursday in Abuja, the ECOWAS Court’s President said that only about 30 per cent of the court’s judgments had been enforced, adding that the non-enforcement of judgments was the court’s formidable challenge.
“Some of the difficulties that we have encountered relating to the jurisdiction of the court include the persistence of non-enforcement of the court’s judgments.
“Now, you see, our processes should not just end in presentation of an application to the court and a verdict delivered, but all this must translate into not just the text that regulates.
“Indeed, what credibility would a court have if their decisions are not enforced? It is only on this condition that the citizens of the community and the general public will continue to believe in this court,” he said.
According to him, community citizens, who sometimes come from far and wide to seek for justice to be done to them, deserve to see decisions enforced in good faith, and timely.
Gonçalves, therefore, appealed to the administration of the community institutions to continue honouring their commitments by fully recognising the authority of the court and enforcing its decisions.
He said that, notwithstanding the court’s other challenges, such as financial constraints, like other community institutions, it recorded remarkable milestones the previous year.
The President of the Court explained that over the past year, the court registered 34 new cases, held a total of 79 court sessions and delivered 54 judgments with 112 cases pending.
Another milestone, he said, was the court’s adoption of an innovative electronic management of cases and the holding of secure virtual hearings, which strengthens access to justice and reduces geographical and logistical constraints.
He said that the court also held a maiden edition of its Moot Court competition for university law students in Nigeria that would later be expanded to other institutions across the sub-region.
Gonçalves stressed that, going forward, one priority that would guide the court’s action in the new legal year would be the expansion of access to justice through the implementation of the electronic case management system.
The second, he said, would be to increase collaboration with national courts, professional associations, and civil society organisations to address challenges and expand access to justice.
“Efficiency, transparency and accountability will remain at the heart of our concerns,” he added.
According to local media reports, the annual event is usually held to mark the commencement of a new legal year and provide an opportunity to reflect on the court’s achievements, challenges, and future prospects.
GIK/APA