By René DOKOU, November 19, 2025
(IMPARTIAL NEWS) – As part of the festivities marking the fiftieth anniversary of ECOWAS, the Community Court of Justice is continuing an awareness-raising mission begun on Monday, November 17, 2025 in the Togolese Republic. This Wednesday, November 19, a highlight enriched the program: the opening of a special Forum intended for lawyers, academics and law students, chaired by His Excellency Judge Ricardo Claúdio Monteiro Gonçalves, President of the Court, accompanied by the Registrar inChief, Dr. Yaouza Ouro-Sama.
Bringing together deans of faculties, professors, practitioners and future jurists, this meeting is at the heart of a proximity strategy undertaken by the Court on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. An approach aimed at strengthening the understanding of its mandate, the visibility of its actions and the accessibility of its procedures for citizens of the community space.
A celebration focused on legal education
The anniversary of ECOWAS constitutes a pivotal moment for its institutions, and the Court of Justice intends to seize the opportunity to recall its role in the consolidation of the rule of law, the protection of human rights and regional integration. The objective is clear: to raise awareness among all legal actors, lawyers, residents, partners, students, of its skills and the scope of its jurisdiction.
In his opening speech, the President of the Court directly addressed academics and law students, emphasizing their decisive role in the evolution of regional law.
“You are the critical voice and the future guardians of this legal order. Your research, your debates and your teaching bring the Court’s judgments to life, well beyond the courtroom,” he said.
An emphasis on procedure and legal rigor
Judge Monteiro Gonçalves recalled the importance of the Rules of Procedure, which guarantee both access to justice and respect for the right to a fair trial. While reaffirming the commitment of the panel of judges, he alerted to the numerous cases rejected for procedural irregularities:
“I invite lawyers to carefully study the jurisdiction of the Court and the conditions for admissibility of applications.”
The Court is also celebrating 20 years of its human rights mandate. A historic turning point which requires, according to the President, constant adaptation to institutional evolution. Lawyers, he stressed, must know how to navigate these changes while preserving the ethical rigor essential to the functioning of regional justice.
Reconciling national ambitions and regional integration
Faced with contemporary challenges, the Court calls for a balance between national dynamics and the imperatives of regional cooperation. Institutional reforms, recalled the President, must never weaken the foundations of integration.
“The Court must remain an instrument of justice that can be used, but never abused,” he insisted.
For students and young jurists, the call is clear: to appropriate regional jurisprudence through research, moot court competitions, publications and legal clinics. This case law, now rich in matters of fundamental rights and State responsibility, must continue to inform national decisions.
A rich program to nourish legal dialogue
The day of November 19 was punctuated by several interventions:
presentation of the mandate and jurisdiction of the Court by Ghislain Agbozo; presentation on practice and procedure by Bilgho Palakwinde; demonstration of the procedure for filing applications by Duke Ekpenyong; interactive question-and-answer sessions.
The work will continue this Thursday, November 20 with a judicial dialogue and a judges’ forum, demonstrating the Court’s desire to sustainably anchor this rapprochement with legal actors in the region.
