ECOWAS Court gets five new judges – Daily Trust

The Financial Group of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday swore in 5 new judges of its Group Courtroom of Justice.
The 5 judges are Mr Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin; Hon. Justice Awa Bah of The Gambia; Mrs Charlyne M. Brumskine of Liberia; Mrs Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria; and Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo.
Talking on the match, the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Executive, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, charged them to toughen public consider via independent and credible justice.
Faye, who administered the oath on the ECOWAS Fee headquarters in Abuja, stated the judges assumed place of business at a vital duration when the area used to be going through political, financial, safety and environmental demanding situations that required a company dedication to the rule of thumb of regulation and collective motion.
He stated the Courtroom had a central duty to verify equity within the utility of ECOWAS felony tools, offer protection to voters’ rights and toughen self belief in regional establishments.
“Thru its choices, it protects rights, serves as a reminder of everybody’s responsibilities, and strengthens consider in our establishments,” Faye stated.
The ECOWAS chairman prompt the brand new judges to permit the oath that they had taken to steer their habits all through their four-year tenure, in particular when deciding instances sooner than them.
He charged them to ship justice rather, read about instances in line with their sense of right and wrong and workout their duties impartially with out yielding to force from any supply.
“Because of this I beg you, all through the period of your mandate, to continuously take note—particularly at the present time of decision-making—the root of your oath,” he stated.
Faye stated the credibility of the Courtroom would proceed to rely at the high quality of its choices and the extent of consider they generated amongst voters.
He prompt the judges to consolidate the Courtroom’s achievements whilst contributing to efforts to modernise its operations and make group justice more practical, available and higher authorised by way of the general public.
Previous, ECOWAS Fee President, Basic Birame Diop, described the swearing-in as greater than a ceremonial workout, pronouncing it represented a dedication by way of the brand new judges to the voters of the group and to a commonplace felony order.
Diop stated the oath required the judges to place apart private pursuits and exterior influences and serve group regulation with honour, loyalty, impartiality and sense of right and wrong.
“The oath marks the instant when the person units apart their private pursuits and all exterior influences to serve best group regulation,” he stated.
He stated the oath additionally demonstrated that member states, on the easiest degree, recognised the authority of the Courtroom and had been dedicated to respecting its independence.
The brand new judges had been appointed for a four-year, non-renewable time period by way of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Executive at its 69th Bizarre Consultation held in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 19, 2026.
Their appointment used to be made pursuant to the December 2025 Supplementary Act SA.1/12/25 with regards to the Group Courtroom of Justice.
Underneath Article 3 of the Act, the Courtroom is to contain 5 unbiased judges decided on from amongst nationals of member states who’re individuals of prime ethical personality and possess the {qualifications} required for appointment to the Superb Courtroom or an an identical judicial place of business.
The 5 judges succeeded Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves of Cape Verde; Hon. Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma of Sierra Leone; Hon. Justice Dupe Atoki of Nigeria; Hon. Justice Gberi-Bè Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire; and Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante of Ghana, whose four-year tenures had expired.