Africa-Press – Liberia. The Chief Justice of Liberia, Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay, and the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice have jointly ignited calls for deeper cooperation between national courts and the regional ECOWAS Court.
The pair made the call on Friday, November 14, 2025, during a high-level Judicial Dialogue held at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
The forum brought together Supreme Court Justices, judges from across Liberia’s judicial system, senior ECOWAS legal officials, members of the Liberian Bar Association, and dozens of legal practitioners.
The dialogue focused on strengthening cross-border judicial coordination, harmonizing legal standards, and improving access to justice across West Africa.
In his opening statement, Chief Justice Gbeisay expressed profound appreciation to the ECOWAS delegation for choosing Liberia as host of the judicial engagement.
Chief Justice Gbeisay said the dialogue was essential for deepening our collective pursuit of justice.
He emphasized that the dialogue represents more than a ceremonial visit, stating that it is a crucial step in expanding legal understanding and enhancing collaboration across the subregion.
“Our shared commitment to justice and regional integration is invaluable. Upholding the rule of law, promoting human rights, and enhancing access to justice across the subregion remain pillars of our work. This dialogue broadens understanding among Liberian legal practitioners and strengthens our collective pursuit of justice,” he said.
As he welcomed the delegation to the gathering, Chief Justice Gbeisay described the Temple of Justice as “The theatre of justice in Liberia.”
Also delivering a keynote statement, the President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Justice Ricardo Claudio Monteiro Gonçalves, described the engagement as a necessity, not a courtesy.
“This Judicial dialogue is not a luxury; it is the oxygen of the rule of law,”
Indicated the ECOWAS Court President.
He stressed that regional and national courts share a single mission in a bid to safeguard human dignity, uphold the rule of law, and ensure accountability across West Africa.
“The ECOWAS Court of Justice and national judiciaries are not rivals in jurisdiction; we are partners in justice,” Justice Gonçalves declared.
“We form two complementary levels of a single legal order, bound by the will of our Member States and the confidence of our citizens.”
He furthered that many ECOWAS Court judges come directly from national judiciaries and return afterward, proving that the relationship between the courts is “organic, not merely institutional.”
National Courts as the First Line of Defense
Justice Gonçalves used the platform to highlight a growing misunderstanding in the region such as the misconception that the ECOWAS Court competes with or overrides national courts.
On the contrary, he said, national courts remain the primary guardians of human rights and justice within Member States.
“Whenever a national court upholds fundamental rights, it also shields the State from potential condemnation at the regional level,” he said.
The ECOWAS Court President clarified that judgments depend heavily on the cooperation of national courts for enforcement, registration, and recognition.
Without such cooperation, he warned, “Even the most well-reasoned regional decisions risk becoming purely theoretical.”
Pathways for Stronger Collaboration
The ECOWAS Court President outlined several practical avenues that could enhance judicial cooperation.
Among these, highlighted the need for regular judicial dialogues and conferences to harmonize regional legal understandings, joint capacity-building programs on human rights and case management, shared legal research databases to strengthen jurisprudential consistency, clear national-level enforcement mechanisms for ECOWAS Court judgments and institutional exchanges and judicial attachments to build mutual familiarity and respect
According to him, such initiatives would help create a regional judicial community that speaks with one coherent voice.
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