ECOWAS Court gets new leadership, as Asante bows out

The ECOWAS Court of Justice (CCJ) has elected Cape Verde’s Justice Ricardo Gonçalves as its new President.

It also elected Sierra Leone’s Justice Sengu Koroma as new Vice President, both for non-renewable four-year tenure.

They were elected by the court’s college of five judges, and subsequently inaugurated by Guinea-Bissau’s President Umaro Embalo.

Embalo is the former Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

Gonçalves succeeds Justice Edward Asante, who had presided as the court’s president for six years, while Koroma succeeds Ivory Coast’s Gberi-bè Ouattara as Vice President.

Meanwhile, Justice Asante has been recommended for Ghana’s Supreme Court, although he still remains a judge of the CCJ until the end of his extended tenure in 2026.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that under Asante, the CCJ witnessed remarkable growth and transformation in its jurisprudence, case management system and physical infrastructure.

Asante made possible the relocation of the Court from its former overcrowded location to its new complex at Gudu District, Abuja in 2023.

The legal luminary also brought innovations in the CCJ’s processes through the introduction of the electronic case management system and the consequential amendment of the Court’s practice direction.

The innovations have enabled seamless virtual and physical court sessions, as well as easing access to the court by case applicants from ECOWAS member states.

This has reduced the financial burden on applicants because applications can now be filed, cases heard and judgments delivered virtually.

He also filled most of the vacancies in the Court’s organogram with the recruitment of experienced lawyers into the Registry and Research Departments.

Asante described his tenure as a “worthwhile experience and a privilege to serve the community”, which enabled him to gain valuable insights into the ECOWAS integration process.

The eminent jurist added that his six-year tenure enabled him to “understand the value of the respect for extant instruments of the community, including its commitment to respect for human rights, accountability and transparency.”

Speaking, Gonçalves said his vision for the court was focused on two fundamental pillars of responsibility and dialogue.

He stressed the need to uphold the institution’s mission as an independent, reliable, efficient, and accessible court.

Gonçalves expressed his commitment to foster continuous dialogue with other ECOWAS institutions, agencies, member states, civil societies and ensure prudent management of ECOWAS funds.