Office of the Chief Registrar
The Chief Registrar reports directly to the President of the Court. He assists the President and the Judges in all their official functions. The Chief Registrar is also the custodian of the Seal of the Court and all judicial records of the Court. He is also responsible for the publications of the Court. He is the institutional memory of the Court and carries out other functions as specified in the Protocol on the Court, Rules of Procedure, Practice Direction and Instructions to the Chief Registrar. As a D2 Director, he is a Supervisory Director.
The Registry Department
The Registry Department is the engine room of the Court and its public face, as it is usually the first link between the public and the Court. The primary duty of the Registry Department is the receipt, processing and service of court processes lodged before it. The Department also assists the Judges in caseload management. The Registry Department is the custodian of the judicial records of the Court and is responsible for the production of verbatim reports, translation of court processes and interpretation during court proceedings. The department is headed by the Deputy Chief Registrar.
Operationally, the department comprise five (5) divisions namely: Judicial Process & Case Management; Judicial Certified Translation & Interpretation; Verbatim Reports; Judicial Records, Archives & Publications and Appeals, Arbitration & Enforcement.
Judicial Process & Case Management:
As the title indicates, the Division plays a dual role of being responsible for the receipt, processing and service of court processes as well as assisting the Judge Rapporteur in case management. The Division, however, also performs other related tasks as may be assigned by the Judge Rapporteur, the Chief Registrar and/or the Deputy Chief Registrar.
Judicial Certified Translation & Interpretation
This division is responsible for the translation of court processes into English, French and Portuguese, the three working languages of the Court. Similarly, it also provides simultaneous interpretation during court sessions, Judges’ deliberations and other official meetings.
Verbatim Report
Recording of court proceedings, transcription and production of verbatim reports are the main responsibilities of this Division.
Judicial Records, Archives & Publications.
This division is responsible for the custody, maintenance, preservation and archiving of the judicial records and other relevant documents of the Court. It is also responsible for the publications of the Court under the supervision of the Chief Registrar.
Appeals, Arbitration & Enforcement
Created only in 2018, the Division comprises three (3) Sections as indicated in its title – Appeals, Arbitration and Enforcement – each headed by a Registrar.
At its 56th Ordinary Session in June 2006, the Council of Ministers of ECOWAS, recognized the need for an Appellate Chamber for the Court following clamours by litigants. This section was, therefore, created preparatory to the establishment of the Appellate Chamber.
Article 16 (1) of the Revised Treaty had sought the establishment of an Arbitration Tribunal of the Community, even though this section is yet to be operational. The 2006 Supplementary Protocol on the Court, which amended the initial Protocol, handed the Arbitration jurisdiction to the ECOWAS Court of Justice, pending the establishment of the Arbitration Tribunal of the Community. This section will, therefore, manage the arbitration functions of the Court.
This section is responsible for enforcing the Judgments and Rulings of the Court in line with the provisions of the Revised Treaty and other basic legal text of the Community. In addition, it also coordinates with the competent national authorities of Member States in processing the Writ of Execution issued by the Chief Registrar.