Senegalese President Bassirou Faye has appealed to newly sworn-in justices of the ECOWAS Court of Justice to uphold fairness, firmness, and impartiality and resist pressure in the discharge of their duties.

Mr Faye, Chairman, Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, made the appeal while administering the oath of office to five newly appointed justices of the Court on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the oath taken by the justices should guide their conduct throughout their four-year tenure and compel them to deliver justice fairly.

“The oath you have just taken must guide your every action,” Mr Faye said.

He urged them to examine every case according to their conscience and exercise their responsibilities with impartiality, “without giving in to pressure, whatever its origin.”

Mr Faye said the oath represented a commitment to serve the cause of law with loyalty, honour, impartiality and conscience.

He further said that the oath was not binding on them alone but also carried an obligation for everyone who heard it.

“This oath that you have just pronounced does not bind you alone. It also binds those who listen to it. It binds us all,” he said.

The ECOWAS chairman noted that the ceremony was taking place against the backdrop of unprecedented political, economic, security and environmental challenges confronting the region.

“This calls for a shared commitment, firmly rooted in the rule of common law,” he said.

Mr Faye described the Community Court as central to ensuring fairness and respect for ECOWAS legal instruments.

“Through its decisions, it protects rights, serves as a reminder of everyone’s obligations and strengthens trust in our institutions,” he said.

He said the standard expected of judges was both legal and ethical, requiring rigour in applying the law, restraint and constant fidelity to the mandate entrusted to them.

Mr Faye added that the reputation of the court depended on the quality of its decisions and the trust they inspired among citizens.

He, therefore, urged them to consolidate the court’s achievements and modernise its operations to respond better to contemporary realities.

“I invite you, in your daily actions, to play your part in consolidating past achievements and modernising the court,” he said.

Mr Faye said this would make community justice more effective, accessible and better accepted by the public.

Also speaking, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, Birame Diop, said the swearing-in of the justices was more than a protocol formality.

Mr Diop said the oath marked the point at which judges set aside personal interests and external influences to serve community law.

“The oath marks the moment when the individual sets aside their personal interests and all external influences to serve only community law,” he said.

He said the court had become one of the most visible and accessible institutions of ECOWAS, particularly because individuals could approach it when they believed their rights had been violated.

“By opening its doors to individuals, the Community has given concrete meaning to the idea of an ECOWAS of the peoples, and no longer just of States,” Mr Diop said.

The commission president said the court’s jurisprudence, particularly on human rights, was cited beyond West Africa and constituted a source of pride for the region.

Mr Diop also disclosed that work was underway on the possible establishment of an Appellate Chamber for the Court.

“A committee comprising representatives from community institutions has been set up to examine this question,” he said.

He called for stronger cooperation among the ECOWAS Commission, Judicial Council, Court, Parliament and Member States to strengthen the regional justice system.

The Chief Justice of Sierra Leone and President of the ECOWAS Judicial Council, Justice Komba Kamanda, called for stronger implementation of the decisions of the Community Court.

Mr Kamanda noted that the effectiveness of the regional judicial system depended largely on the extent to which member states and institutions respected and implemented the Court’s decisions.

“We must all be aware that the authorities of the jurisdiction rely in a large measure on the effectiveness of the decisions they make,” he said.

He also called for stronger dialogue between the community court and national jurisdictions.

“Our different judicial traditions must not be perceived as obstacles. They are a wealth,” Mr Kamanda said.

He urged the newly inaugurated justices to maintain their independence, impartiality and integrity throughout their tenure.

“The independence of the judiciary is not a privilege for magistrates but certainly a fundamental guarantee due to the judiciary,” he said.

Mr Kamanda said the protection of fundamental rights must remain at the heart of community justice.

“The protection of rights must therefore never be considered as an abstraction. It is at the heart of the vision of the judge,” he said.

He reminded the court’s new helmsman that they had inherited the work of their predecessors and had a responsibility to strengthen the institution for future generations.

“You will not only be the judges of your mandate; you will also be the builders of community law,” Mr Kamanda said.

The five justices sworn in are Justice Désiré Aihou (Benin); Awa Bah (The Gambia); Charlyne Brumskine (Liberia); Henrietta Didigu (Nigeria); and Yaouza Ouro-Sama (Togo).

They were appointed by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 69th Ordinary Session held in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 19, 2026.

The new justices will serve a non-renewable four-year term in accordance with the December 2025 Supplementary Act relating to the Community Court of Justice.

They replaced Justices Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves of Cape Verde, Sengu Koroma of Sierra Leone, Dupe Atoki of Nigeria, Gberi-Bè Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire and Edward Asante of Ghana, whose four-year tenures have ended.

Upon assumption of duty, the new justices of the Court are expected to elect a new president and vice president from among themselves for an initial term of two years. 

(NAN)