THE Community Court of Justice (ECOWAS Court) has charged the media on public awareness.

Speaking at a three-day training for ECOWAS journalists in Abuja, the Vice President of the court, Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, frowned that although the court promotes rule of law and safeguards human rights of citizens and people in the sub-region, public understanding of its core mandate, processes, procedures and the impact on the people has remained limited due to gaps in journalists’ reports on its activities

Limited reportage on the court has also been partly blamed on the poor enforcement of its decisions, which was put at about 20 per cent.
“Undoubtably, journalists occupy an important position in communicating the work of courts to the public. Accurate and responsible reporting of judicial proceedings enables citizens to better understand the mandate of judicial institutions, their decisions and the implications of those decisions for individuals, members, states and the region.

“In addition, they must be knowledgeable about the core competence, practice and procedure, and the rationale of the decisions of the court.
“It is of paramount importance that journalists in reporting the decisions of the court must avoid bias, sensationalism, misinformation and disinformation.

“This training is therefore very important for the court as it will contribute to increased public awareness of its mandate, jurisprudence and impact in our sub-region”
Justice Koroma therefore urged the media to engage member states on the need to faithfully implement the details of the court in accordance with their treaty obligations.

“The judgment enforcement mechanism of the court gives the member states the responsibility of enforcing its judgments, which currently is below expectation.”

Speaking earlier, the Acting Deputy Chief Registrar, Mrs Marie Saine, said that the training marked the beginning of a more structured and sustained engagement between the court and journalists who inform citizens about its proceedings, decisions and jurisprudence.

She added that the court occupies a distinctive place within the institutional architecture of the regional integration process, and that it is not simply a judicial institution where cases are filed, argued and determined but also one, which
contributes to the development of principles of law, protection of human rights, access to justice and the strengthening of rule of law within ECOWAS community through its judgments, orders and jurisprudence.

She said the value of the court is not measured solely by the number of cases it determines but through the understanding of its mandate, procedures and decisions.
“And importantly, the significance of its jurisprudence for the people and situations of the region that it serves must also be understood. This is where the media becomes indispensable.

“For most citizens, the courtroom is not a place they enter every day. Judicial proceedings, legal arguments and court decisions can sometimes appear technical, complex or remote. The journalist serves as an important bridge between the Court and the public.

Through responsible journalism, a judgment delivered in the courtroom can reach citizens far beyond the courtroom. Through accurate reporting, a complex legal principle can be explained in language that ordinary citizens can understand. More importantly, through accurate and context-rich reporting, citizens can understand not only what the Court decided, but what the decision means and why it matters. This is the central purpose of the training we commence today”, she said.

She added that reporting on judicial proceedings requires knowledge and professional judgement as the journalist reports both the event and process governed by legal rules, procedures and principles.

“Effective and credible reporting therefore requires more than announcing the outcome of a case. It requires an understanding of the material facts, the issues before the Court, the relevant legal framework, the Court’s reasoning and the orders ultimately made.

“Therefore, the relationship between the Court and the media must be based on mutual respect for institutional roles. The Court has the responsibility of administering justice while journalists have the responsibility of informing the public independently and professionally.”
Saine also expressed the need to create more awareness about the court, stressing that such include access to justice.

“Justice must also be accessible in terms of information and understanding. A citizen who does not know that a regional court exists, does not know what matters it can hear, does not understand who may approach it or cannot understand what its decisions mean, may not be in a position to appreciate the opportunities for justice that the regional judicial system provides.

“The media therefore has an important role in promoting awareness. By reporting on the Court’s work, journalists help citizens understand that the Court is not an abstract institution operating somewhere far away from them, but an institution

Presenting the goals of the training, Head, Public Information and External Relations, Ms Elohor Ovadje, said it was linked to Strategic Goal 4 of the court, which is to ensure transparency, stakeholders’ engagement and strategic accountability as well as Strategic Plan 2026 to 2030 of the Court.
“The overall objective is to create an effective network of journalists across the ECOWAS region regularly reporting on the court to increase visibility, strengthen collaboration between the court and the media to improve public awareness about the court and enhance accuracy by equipping journalists with relevant skills to extract and report facts correctly from official court sources.

“It also aims at enhancing the knowledge of journalists on the court’s mandates, jurisdiction, structure and procedures”, she said.
Participants at the training were drawn from various ECOWAS member states, who appreciated the court for the opportunity and pledge to engage their platforms in giving the court required visibility.