WORKSHOP TO REVIEW THE CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR ECOWAS COURT OPENS NEAR ABUJA

A five day workshop that is expected to propose measures for improving the case management system of the Community Court of Justice in order to ensure the speedy administration of justice and minimize delays opened at Goshen city near Abuja on Wednesday, 3^rd July 2019.

This could, among others, require the amendment of Article 12 of the 1991 founding Protocol of the Court, the Rules of Procedure of the Court and its practice direction in order to align them with some provisions with the dynamics of the Court including the 2005 expansion of its mandate which allowed access to the Court by individuals.

“The objective is to improve on the case management system, which determines the speed of processing and management of cases, so as to adopt measures and clear guidelines that will assist those involved in the management of cases in the effective discharge of their functions,” the President of the Court, Honorable Justice Edward Amoako Asante said at the opening ceremony of the workshop.

These include the Judge Rapporteur, the Registry, the Research division and the language services.

He added that the workshop is ‘necessitated by the realization that in some instances, the Rules of Procedure of the Court did not provide sufficient clarity while there are gaps in other instances.

The improvement is expected to clarify the specific role of the judge rapporteur in the written and oral procedure as well as the relationship with the registry and the management of certain special procedures.

The President said the workshop is part of ongoing efforts by the Court’s management to ‘strengthen those fundamentals that impact on the Court’s performance following the hugely successful preceding 8^th Judges retreat which addressed other issues that impact on the Courts’ performance.’

The workshop which is being hosted within the 11^th Judicial Retreat of the Court, is being attended by Court’s five judges, the Directors and legal staff including the Executive Assistants to the Judges.

The preceding Judges retreat, held as the same venue, discussed the establishment of legal aid scheme and appellate chamber for the Court, the harmonization of the dual perspective on the contentious issue of amicus curiae (friends of the Court) and the need for guidelines for the award of reparations.