Lagos Judiciary, ECOWAS Court, to Strengthen Regional Judicial Ties

The ECOWAS Court of Justice and the Lagos State Judiciary have pledged to work more closely together, in a major significant step towards deepening regional judicial cooperation.

This agreement was reached, following a high-level discussion held last week in Lagos. The meeting, attended by senior judicial figures, focused on fostering collaboration in the areas of human rights protection, legal integration, and the rule of law across West Africa. 

It marked a renewed commitment to joint action, among regional and national courts.

 President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Gonçalves, stressed the importance of partnership over competition among judicial bodies. 

 “Our roles may differ in scope or geography, but our purpose remains the same: to serve our people”, he said. 

 “Our courts are not competitors. We are collaborators.”

 Justice Gonçalves proposed institutionalising cooperation through joint consultations and judicial exchanges, with the goal of enhancing legal consistency and strengthening justice delivery across ECOWAS member States.

 Chief Judge of Lagos State, Hon. Justice Kazeem O. Alogba, welcomed the ECOWAS delegation and praised the initiative as a ‘golden opportunity’ for mutual learning. He also acknowledged the regional court’s contribution to the recent renovation of a courtroom at Osborne Courthouse, calling it both a symbolic and practical gesture of solidarity.

 “We do not simply render judgements; we are concerned with their implementation and their actual impact on society”, Justice Alogba stated, pointing to persistent challenges in enforcing regional court rulings.

 Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama, Chief Registrar of the ECOWAS Court, highlighted the Court’s expanding role in human rights litigation, now the dominant feature of its docket. He reaffirmed the Court’s respect for national sovereignty, noting, “The ECOWAS Court does not serve as an appellate court over national judiciaries. Rather, it offers a complementary path to justice, when national remedies have been exhausted”. He also described Lagos as a critical hub for regional legal cooperation, reflecting the Court’s broader aim of bringing justice closer to citizens. 

 “The transformation of ECOWAS from a ‘Community of States’ to a ‘Community of Peoples’, can only be realised when the grassroots are carried along in this integration project”, he said.

 The dialogue continued with technical sessions focusing on judicial best practices, institutional cooperation, and strategies to expand access to justice throughout the sub-region.