The President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Afam Osigwe (SAN), on Monday hosted the President of the Court of the Economic Community of West African States, Justice Ricardo Gonçalves, at the NBA National Secretariat in Abuja, with both leaders identifying non-enforcement of court judgments as a major threat to justice in the West African sub-region.
The ECOWAS Court President was accompanied by other judges and senior registry officials during the high-level engagement, which focused on improving compliance with the Court’s decisions by member states.
“Judicial authority is not sustained merely by the pronouncement of decisions, but by the certainty that those decisions will be obeyed.
“Where court judgments are routinely ignored or disobeyed, the very foundation of justice is weakened,” Osigwe said.
He added, “Enforcement is the lifeblood of adjudication, and without compliance, even the most well-reasoned judgments risk becoming symbolic.”
He assured the regional court of the NBA’s readiness to collaborate on mechanisms to strengthen compliance and respect for its authority.
Justice Gonçalves highlighted that enforcement is a pressing institutional concern.
“Without effective enforcement frameworks, public confidence in regional justice mechanisms may gradually erode,” he said.
He urged collaboration among the judiciary, the Bar, the executive, and civil society to ensure that ECOWAS Court judgments were implemented promptly, a step he said would be essential for sustaining the court’s credibility and authority across the sub-region.
Both institutions expressed optimism that sustained dialogue and coordinated action would enhance compliance frameworks and safeguard the authority of the ECOWAS Court.
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