Get Guardian on GoogleTo reinforce regional cooperation and access to justice, the ECOWAS Court of Justice and the Lagos State judiciary have pledged closer collaboration. This was disclosed yesterday at the critical meeting held by top judicial leaders to discuss the protection of human rights, legal integration, and the rule of law in West Africa.
While speaking at the gathering, President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Gonçalves, emphasised that national and regional courts must work in partnership rather than in competition among judicial bodies.
He said: “Our roles may differ in scope or geography, but our purpose remains the same: to serve our people. Our courts are not competitors. We are collaborators.
Gonçalves proposed institutionalising cooperation through joint consultations and judicial exchanges, with the goal of enhancing legal consistency and strengthening justice delivery across ECOWAS member-states.
Also, the Chief Judge of Lagos State, Justice Kazeem Alogba, while welcoming the ECOWAS delegates, praised the initiative as a “golden opportunity” for mutual learning.
He acknowledged the regional court’s contribution to the recent renovation of a courtroom at Osborne Courthouse, calling it both a symbolic and practical gesture of solidarity.
