By James Conteh
Sierra Leone’s Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, Esq, has chaired a high-level meeting of West African Justice Ministers in Banjul, The Gambia, in his new role as Chair of the ECOWAS Committee of Attorneys General and Ministers of Justice.
During the two-day meeting, the Ministers reviewed and adopted two key legal instruments that will shape the future work of the ECOWAS Court of Justice – the Draft Harmonized Protocol and the Arbitration Rules of the Court.
According to Alpha Sesay, Esq, the Draft Harmonized Protocol is a major legal milestone. It consolidates three existing protocols into one simplified and accessible document, while preserving their core provisions.
“This will make the ECOWAS Court more accessible to litigants, their legal representatives, and Court members,” he said.
He also noted that the new Arbitration Rules are crucial, as the ECOWAS Court had been entrusted with arbitral functions under Article 9.5 of the 2005 Supplementary Protocol, but until now had not developed rules to carry out this mandate.
The outcomes of the Ministerial meeting, including the draft legal instruments, will now be forwarded to the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government, under the chairmanship of H.E. President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, for consideration and possible adoption.
