The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, delivered 13 judgments during its recently concluded External Court Session held in Lagos.
President of the Court, Justice Ricardo Claúdio Monteiro Gonçalves, disclosed this during the closing ceremony of the special court session held at the Lagos State High Court in Osborne.
Justice Gonçalves said that 52 cases were entertained, including 37 hearings, two rulings, and 13 judgments.
The regional court’s president said the session had significantly reduced the court’s caseload, which decreased from 97 pending cases at the beginning of the session to 82.
He further revealed that the matters covered included petitions from various ECOWAS member states such as Nigeria, Ghana, Benin, Senegal, Guinea and Liberia, as well as cases involving ECOWAS institutions.
The president of the court hailed the mission as a success and reaffirmed the court’s commitment to justice, equity and human rights across the West African sub-region.
Justice Gonçalves expressed deep gratitude to God for the smooth and impactful execution of two major activities, the court session and the Sensitisation Outreach, under the court’s 2025 work programme.
He noted that the initiatives were central to the court’s strategy of promoting judicial awareness and access to justice among indigent citizens of the ECOWAS Community.
“This initiative is rooted in Article 26(2) of the 1991 Protocol on the Court,” the president said, explaining the legal foundation for holding sessions in member states.
“By bringing our proceedings closer to the people, we provide access to justice for those who may otherwise never reach the Court’s seat in Abuja,” he said.
Justice Gonçalves also expressed gratitude to the Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun and the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Olanrewaju Alogba, for generously providing court facilities and staffing for the event.
He also praised the dedication of the ECOWAS Court judges, especially under the challenge of a reduced bench.
The judge recognised the outstanding efforts of the judge-rapporteurs, registrars, ict, protocol units and support staff from both the ECOWAS Court and Lagos State Judiciary.
