ECOWAS Court seeks support judgement enforcement

The president of the court, Justice Maria Do Ceu Silva Monteiro, made the appeal last week during the 2014/2015 Legal Year of the Court in Abuja.While calling on the Nigerian authorities to relocate the court to a more spacious environment with several court rooms, she regretted that the court has not been well equipped to […]

The president of the court, Justice Maria Do Ceu Silva Monteiro, made the appeal last week during the 2014/2015 Legal Year of the Court in Abuja.
While calling on the Nigerian authorities to relocate the court to a more spacious environment with several court rooms, she regretted that the court has not been well equipped to fulfill the provisions of Article 24 of the 2005 Protocol of the court on the ‘Method of Implementation of Judgements of the court’.
She stressed the need for authorities to be involved in the implementation of the decisions of the court “so that West African citizens whose right it is to seek justice before our court can surely count on the assurances provided in the legal safeguards of the law.”
Quoting the famous philosopher and mathematician Blaise Paschal, she said “Justice without enforcement is impotent, and the use of force without justice is tyrannical.”
Also speaking, the Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Prof Anselem Odinkalu emphasised the need to comply with the decisions of the ECOWAS Court, explaining that some of the decisions are declaratory or have clarifying force.
The highlight of the event was the inauguration of seven new judges including Justices Monteiro (Guinea Bissau) and Friday Chijioke Nwoke (Nigeria), president and vice president respectively.