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The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Community Court of Justice held high-level bilateral discussions with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Planning and Economic Development (MoPED) to assess the enforcement of the Court’s judgments in the country.
The meeting, held at the MoPED Conference Hall in Tower Hill, was led by the President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves, alongside his delegation. The Sierra Leone delegation was headed by Minister Kenyeh Barlay, supported by senior management and technical staff of MoPED.
The engagement is part of the activities marking the 50th Anniversary of ECOWAS, during which the Court is consulting national authorities and stakeholders across member states to review compliance with and enforcement of its decisions.
Speaking at the meeting, Justice Monteiro Gonçalves emphasized that the visit forms part of the Court’s programme on judicial cooperation, aimed at strengthening collaboration with national institutions tasked with enforcing judicial decisions.
“The main objective of our visit is to collectively examine how we can improve the enforcement of judgments and decisions of the ECOWAS Court of Justice,” he said. Justice Monteiro Gonçalves further noted that the enforcement rate across cases currently stands at approximately 20 percent, highlighting eleven judgments already delivered but yet to be enforced.
He stressed that the discussions would explore practical approaches, best practices, and innovative strategies to ensure uniform enforcement across member states.
Minister Barlay welcomed the ECOWAS delegation and reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to regional justice, governance, and the rule of law. She stated that the enforcement of court decisions is central to national development, a principle reflected in Sierra Leone’s Medium-Term National Development Plan (MTNDP) under the governance, peace, and accountability enabler.
“The existence of the Court remains critical. Our task now is to strengthen national systems and align them better with regional obligations,” Minister Barlay stated, noting systemic challenges affecting enforcement across the region. She assured the delegation of MoPED’s commitment to collaborate with national institutions and ECOWAS structures to address gaps and improve coordination.
The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to sustained dialogue, institutional cooperation, and follow-up actions to enhance the enforcement of ECOWAS Court judgments in Sierra Leone.
