The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere Ekun, has pledged her commitment to deepen the links between national judiciaries and the ECOWAS court of justice, calling for structured engagement, including referral of cases involving community law, joint training initiative and robust implementation of decisions.

The CJN spoke as the Chairperson at the opening ceremony of the External Court Session of the Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, sitting at the High Court building at Osborne, Lagos, yesterday.

She said the ECOWAS court is uniquely positioned to handle cases of regional significance, cases that transcend borders, challenging sovereigns and demanding accountability at the highest level.

The CJN, who said the outreach has cleared all grey areas and is now more committed to cooperation with peace, noted that the rule of law is not a decorative principle but the bedrock of development, stability and peace.Its mandate is as bold as bold, as it is vital to interpret community law, protect human rights and resolve issues that threaten regional cohesion.”
As the court commenced sitting, she wished the session to be productive, enlightening and impactful in advancing the cause of Justice in the sub-region.Earlier, the President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Claudio Montero Goncalves, noted that Article 24 of the Protocol of the Court, as amended, provides that the decisions of the court are to be executed by the member states under their rules of civil procedure saying: “All member states shall determine the competent national authority for receipt and processing of execution, and to notify the court accordingly.”

He revealed that out of the 12 member states of the community, only two member states are yet to comply with this provision. According to him, “It is crystal clear that to fully play the role of the “Watch Dog” of the community legal order and to maintain the image of a viral and independent regional court, it must have the co-operation of member states,” adding that the credibility of the court will be adversely affected if its judgements are not implemented by member states.

“We note, with regret, that many of the decisions of the court are yet to be implemented by member states concerned. It will be counterproductive to render the court a toothless bulldog. We will therefore continue to appeal to all member states for their collaboration and support. I wish to acknowledge with gratitude the respect that has been shown to the court by the Federal Republic of Nigeria in regularly submitting to the jurisdiction of the court, but we humbly appeal that this good gesture should be extended to the implementation of the decisions of the court. “

THE GUARDIAN