President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, has urged member states to bolster cooperation between national judiciaries and the regional court to strengthen rule of law across West Africa.
Speaking in Monrovia at the opening of the court’s outreach programme, Gonçalves framed the court as a “court of integration, not intrusion,” and called for dialogue, capacity building, and greater compliance with regional judgments.
Gonçalves highlighted the ECOWAS Court’s human-rights mandate and its record of delivering redress to victims, but warned that implementation gaps persist when member states fail to respect rulings.
He proposed regular judicial dialogues, research partnerships, training programmes for judges and lawyers, and enhanced engagement with civil society, women and youth groups to raise awareness of regional remedies.
The ECOWAS Court President praised Liberia for ratifying key protocols and urged other states to follow suit.
He emphasised that the regional bench complements — not replaces — domestic systems and that stronger cooperation will enhance citizens’ access to justice.
The outreach aims to demystify the court’s jurisdiction and encourage practical mechanisms for enforcement so regional law can translate into real protections at the national level.
