CJN Kekere-Ekun: how ECOWAS Court’s judgments could be enforced
• Regional court’s president decries non-enforcement of decisions The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has suggested how best the Community Court of the Economic Community of West
• Regional court’s president decries non-enforcement of decisions
The Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has suggested how best the Community Court of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS Court) could get member-states of the sub-regional body to enforce its judgments.
Justice Kekere-Ekun urged the ECOWAS Court to take advantage of the opportunity provided by its bilateral meeting on the status of the judgments of the court to develop a uniform procedure for the enforcement of its judgments.
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She also advised judges of the court to consult widely with stakeholders to rework existing guidelines for enforcement of the court’s judgments.
The CJN said her advice was informed by the complaints the leadership of the court lodged about the reluctance of ECOWAS member-states to enforce the court’s judgment.
A statement yesterday in Abuja by her Special Assistant on Media, Tobi Soniyi, said Justice Kekere-Ekun gave the advice in her office when she hosted a delegation of ECOWAS Court’s judges, led by its President, Justice Ricardo Goncalves.
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Justice Kekere-Ekun, who acknowledged the importance of having ECOWAS Court’s judgments enforced by member-states, noted that enforcing the court’s judgments lies mainly with the Executive arm of government
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The CJN hailed the ECOWAS Court for its landmark and impressive judgments on enforcement of fundamental human rights in the sub-region.
She promised to support the court in the areas of training through Nigeria’s National Judicial Institute (NJI).
Justice Goncalves said the visit was meant to solicit the support of the CJN in the enforcement of the judgments of the ECOWAS Court.
He noted that due to a lack of political will and other challenges, 80 per cent of the court’s decisions could not be enforced.
The ECOWAS Court’s president urged Nigeria to lead by example, stressing that if the country enforced the court’s judgments, other member-states would follow suit.
Three other Justices of the Supreme Court of Nigeria - Justices Inyang Okoro, Adamu Jauro and Chioma Iheme Nwosu - were on hand to host the delegation.
