3 - The ECOWAS Court and the Politics of Access to Justice in West Africa
Africa Development,
Vol. 32 No. 1 (2007): Africa Development
Abstract
Although the creation of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice (ECJ) was approved in 1991 in pursuant to the provisions of Articles 6 and 15 of the 1993 Revised Treaty of the Economic Community of West African States, it was only set up a decade later in 2001. By utilising a content-analysis method, in addition to extensive personal interviews with the President of the Court, this study describes the emergence, composition, vision and competence/jurisdiction of the ECJ. The paper probes the various challenges currently faced by the ECJ, which include among others, logistics, limited public awareness among ECOWAS citizens, and non use by member states. The inability of ECOWAS citizens to access justice is given prominent emphasis with reference to the case of Afolabi Olajide vs. Federal Republic of Nigeria. The case typifies the extent to which the ECJ’s establishment fulfilled or failed to meet the expectation of ECOWAS citi- zens’ quest for justice. The study’s conclusion examines current efforts at broad- ening access to the court for citizens of the community.
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- Adeleke, A., 1995, ‘The Politics and Diplomacy of Peace-keeping in West Africa: The ECOWAS
- Operation in Liberia’, Journal of Modern African Studies, 33, 4.
- Adeniji, O., 1997, ‘Mechanisms for Conflict Management in West Africa: Politics of
- Harmonization,’ACCORD Occasional Paper.
- Adekeye, A., 2002, Liberia’s Civil War-Nigeria, ECOMOG, and Regional Security in West Africa, (A
- project of International Peace Academy), Boulder and London, Lynne Rienner Publishers.
- Aning, E.K., 1994, Managing Regional Security in West Africa: ECOWAS, ECOMOG and Liberia,
- Copenhagen, Center for Development Research, Working Paper 94.2, February 1994.
- AU Magazine, December 2004-February 2005, Vol 1.Issue 2, 2004, pp.18-20.
- Bach, Daniel, 1983, ‘The Politics of West African Economic Cooperation: CEAO and ECOWAS’, Journal
- of Modern African Studies, 21, 4.
- Community Court of Justice, 2001, Information Manual.
- Community Court of Justice, 2002, The Rules of the Community Court of Justice (ECOWAS), 3 June,
- Abuja.
- Community Court of Justice of The Economic Court of West African States, 2004, Mr Afolabi Olajide
- Vs. Federal Republic of Nigeria, Judgment Delivered 27 April, 2004, Abuja, Nigeria, (Citation
- /ECW/CCJ/04).
- Declaration of the Participants at the Consultative Forum on protecting the Rights of ECOWAS
- Citizens through ECOWAS Court of Justice, 2003.
- Diop, M.C, and Lavergne, R.,1994, Regional Integration in West Africa, Proceedings of the
- International Conference organised by IDRC in Dakar, Senegal,11-15 January 1993. Ottawa:
- International Research Development
- Center.
- Donli, H.N., 2003, Community Court of Justice - Annual Report, 2003.
- Draft of the Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/11/04 amending the Preamble and articles 1, 2, 9, 22 and
- of protocol A/P.1/7/91 relating to the Community Court of Justice and Article 4 paragraph 1 of
- the English Version of the Protocol, 2004.
- Foroutan, F., 1993, ‘Regional Integration in Sub-Saharan Africa: Past experiences and future and
- future prospects’, in de Melo, J. and Panagariya, A. eds., New Dimensions in Regional Integration,
- Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gambari, I., 1991, Political and Comparative Dimensions of
- Regional Integration:
- The Case of ECOWAS, London: Humanities Press International.
- Gowon, Y., 1984, ‘The Economic Community of West African States: A Study of Political and Economic
- Integration’, PhD Thesis, Warwick University.
- http://www.interights.org/news ‘Interights latest news - individuals to be given direct access to
- the ECOWAS Court of Justice’, (Accessed 22/12/2004).
- http://www.ecowas.int/ profile, (Accessed 22/12/2004). http://www.nigeriaembassyusa.org. (Accessed
- /12/2004). http://www.allafrica.com. (Accessed 10/2/2005).
- http://www.headheeb.blogmosis.com/archives/, (Accessed 22/12/2004).
- Ofuatey-Kodjoe, W., 1994, ‘Regional Organizations and the Resolution of Internal Conflicts: The
- ECOWAS Intervention in Liberia’, International Peace-Keeping, 1, 3.
- Onwuka, R., and Amadu, S., eds., 1985, The Future of Regionalism in Africa, London: Macmillan.
- Onwuka, R., 1982, Development and Integration in Africa: The Case of the Economic Community of West
- Africa States, Ile-Ife: University of Ife Press.
- Senghor, J.C., 1990, ‘Theoretical Foundations for Regional Integration in Africa: An Overview’, in
- Peter Anyang Nyong’o, ed., Regional Integration in Africa: Unfinished Agenda, Nairobi: African
- Academy of Sciences, 17-34.
- ThisDay, 2004, ‘ECOWAS Court not open to individual litigants’, 28 April. Vanguard, 2004, ‘ECOWAS
- Court throws out suit against Nigeria’, 28 April. Vogt, M.A., ed., 1992, The Liberian Crisis and
- ECOMOG: A Bold Attempt at
- Regional Peace-Keeping, Lagos: Gbajumo.
References
Adeleke, A., 1995, ‘The Politics and Diplomacy of Peace-keeping in West Africa: The ECOWAS
Operation in Liberia’, Journal of Modern African Studies, 33, 4.
Adeniji, O., 1997, ‘Mechanisms for Conflict Management in West Africa: Politics of
Harmonization,’ACCORD Occasional Paper.
Adekeye, A., 2002, Liberia’s Civil War-Nigeria, ECOMOG, and Regional Security in West Africa, (A
project of International Peace Academy), Boulder and London, Lynne Rienner Publishers.
Aning, E.K., 1994, Managing Regional Security in West Africa: ECOWAS, ECOMOG and Liberia,
Copenhagen, Center for Development Research, Working Paper 94.2, February 1994.
AU Magazine, December 2004-February 2005, Vol 1.Issue 2, 2004, pp.18-20.
Bach, Daniel, 1983, ‘The Politics of West African Economic Cooperation: CEAO and ECOWAS’, Journal
of Modern African Studies, 21, 4.
Community Court of Justice, 2001, Information Manual.
Community Court of Justice, 2002, The Rules of the Community Court of Justice (ECOWAS), 3 June,
Abuja.
Community Court of Justice of The Economic Court of West African States, 2004, Mr Afolabi Olajide
Vs. Federal Republic of Nigeria, Judgment Delivered 27 April, 2004, Abuja, Nigeria, (Citation
/ECW/CCJ/04).
Declaration of the Participants at the Consultative Forum on protecting the Rights of ECOWAS
Citizens through ECOWAS Court of Justice, 2003.
Diop, M.C, and Lavergne, R.,1994, Regional Integration in West Africa, Proceedings of the
International Conference organised by IDRC in Dakar, Senegal,11-15 January 1993. Ottawa:
International Research Development
Center.
Donli, H.N., 2003, Community Court of Justice - Annual Report, 2003.
Draft of the Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/11/04 amending the Preamble and articles 1, 2, 9, 22 and
of protocol A/P.1/7/91 relating to the Community Court of Justice and Article 4 paragraph 1 of
the English Version of the Protocol, 2004.
Foroutan, F., 1993, ‘Regional Integration in Sub-Saharan Africa: Past experiences and future and
future prospects’, in de Melo, J. and Panagariya, A. eds., New Dimensions in Regional Integration,
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Gambari, I., 1991, Political and Comparative Dimensions of
Regional Integration:
The Case of ECOWAS, London: Humanities Press International.
Gowon, Y., 1984, ‘The Economic Community of West African States: A Study of Political and Economic
Integration’, PhD Thesis, Warwick University.
http://www.interights.org/news ‘Interights latest news - individuals to be given direct access to
the ECOWAS Court of Justice’, (Accessed 22/12/2004).
http://www.ecowas.int/ profile, (Accessed 22/12/2004). http://www.nigeriaembassyusa.org. (Accessed
/12/2004). http://www.allafrica.com. (Accessed 10/2/2005).
http://www.headheeb.blogmosis.com/archives/, (Accessed 22/12/2004).
Ofuatey-Kodjoe, W., 1994, ‘Regional Organizations and the Resolution of Internal Conflicts: The
ECOWAS Intervention in Liberia’, International Peace-Keeping, 1, 3.
Onwuka, R., and Amadu, S., eds., 1985, The Future of Regionalism in Africa, London: Macmillan.
Onwuka, R., 1982, Development and Integration in Africa: The Case of the Economic Community of West
Africa States, Ile-Ife: University of Ife Press.
Senghor, J.C., 1990, ‘Theoretical Foundations for Regional Integration in Africa: An Overview’, in
Peter Anyang Nyong’o, ed., Regional Integration in Africa: Unfinished Agenda, Nairobi: African
Academy of Sciences, 17-34.
ThisDay, 2004, ‘ECOWAS Court not open to individual litigants’, 28 April. Vanguard, 2004, ‘ECOWAS
Court throws out suit against Nigeria’, 28 April. Vogt, M.A., ed., 1992, The Liberian Crisis and
ECOMOG: A Bold Attempt at
Regional Peace-Keeping, Lagos: Gbajumo.