President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Ricardo Gonçalves, has said that validating the court’s Harmonised Protocol will reinforce its ability to effectively discharge its regional justice delivery mandate.
Gonçalves made this known in a statement at a meeting of ECOWAS ministers of justice in Banjul, The Gambian capital, on Saturday, aimed at validating two critical instruments of the Community Court.
Freedomonline reports that the two instruments slated for validation by the ministers are the Harmonised Protocol and Arbitration Rules of the Community Court.
The court’s president said that the adoption of the instruments would ensure alignment with the Revised ECOWAS Treaty and decisions of the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government.
According to him, adopting the protocol will strengthen the credibility of the court’s legal order, shape its future, and safeguard the principles of justice, equity, and human rights, which underpin ECOWAS’ integration project.
“The Harmonised Protocol reflects lessons learned over more than two decades of judicial practice and ensures alignment with the Revised ECOWAS Treaty and decisions of the Authority of Heads of State and Government.
“The Protocol will reinforce the court’s ability to discharge its mandate effectively, while safeguarding the principles of justice, equity, and human rights that underpin the ECOWAS integration project,” he said.
Also speaking, The Gambia’s President, Adama Barrow, represented by Vice President Muhammed Jallow, described the meeting as a “historic milestone” in consolidating the ECOWAS Court’s mandate.
He noted that the new Arbitration Rules will enable the ECOWAS Court to provide a credible regional mechanism for resolving commercial disputes.
The president said that it would further strengthen investor confidence and support the objectives of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
Chairman, ECOWAS Ministers of Justice and Sierra Leone’s Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, described the Court as “a beacon of justice and a symbol of collective commitment to regional integration and Rule of Law.”
“Our work here will have significant impact on the role that the court continues to play in the sub-region and will strengthen access to justice for our citizens.
“Through this, we honour our duty to the protection of human rights, promotion of regional integration, and the resolution of disputes through arbitration,” Sesay said.
Dawda Jallow, The Gambia’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, in a keynote address, underlined the importance of equipping ECOWAS with arbitration tools comparable to international standards.
According to him, the ECOWAS Court has the potential to become a continental hub for arbitration, hence the need to empower it to address regional human rights and economic disputes.
ECOWAS Resident Representative to The Gambia, Mrs Miatta French, lauded the court’s management for the initiative toward ensuring that the court’s work was made less cumbersome, and enhancing its effectiveness.
Freedomonline reports that the Harmonised Protocol aims to integrate years of fragmented amendments into a single comprehensive text that defines the Court’s composition, jurisdiction, procedures, and enforcement mechanisms.
The consolidation also aims to eliminate inconsistencies, streamline judicial processes, provide better clarity and greater legal certainty to Member States and citizens.
The meeting, which was convened by the ECOWAS Commission and hosted by The Gambian Government, follows an experts meeting for the review of the court’s Draft Harmonised Protocol and Arbitration Rules.
Once validated by the ministers, the document will be submitted to the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government for adoption.
