Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), yesterday, swore in five new judges for its Community Court of Justice.

The oath of office was administered by the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bassirou Diomaye Faye of Senegal, to Mr Désiré Henri Aihou of the Republic of Benin, Justice Awa Bah of The Gambia, Mrs Charlyne Brumskine of Liberia, Mrs Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria and Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo.

Following the exercise, the judges will subsequently elect from among them the President and Vice President. However, a Nigerian is exempted from the position of the President of the Court on the ground that it is the host country of ECOWAS.

Faye charged the judges to strengthen public trust through impartial and credible justice, especially now, when the region was facing political, economic, security and environmental challenges that require a firm commitment to the rule of law and collective action.

He stated that the court has a central responsibility to ensure fairness in the application of ECOWAS legal instruments, protection of citizens’ rights and strengthening confidence in regional institutions.

The ECOWAS chairman equally charged the new judges to be guided by the oath they had just taken during their four-year tenure, urging them to be fair in justice delivery, examine cases according to their conscience and exercise their responsibilities impartially without yielding to pressure from any source.

Faye said the credibility of the court depended largely on the quality of its decisions and the level of trust they generate among citizens, stressing the need to consolidate the court’s achievements and contribute to modernising its operations towards an effective, accessible and better court.

The new judges were earlier appointed on a four-year non-renewable term by the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government at its 69th Ordinary Session, which was held in Lungi, Sierra Leone, in July, pursuant to the December 2025 Supplementary Act SA.1/12/25, relating to the Community Court of Justice.

Earlier, the President of the ECOWAS Commission, General Birame Diop, described the swearing-in as more than a ceremonial exercise, stressing that it represented a commitment by the new judges to the citizens and to a common legal order.