ECOWAS COURT OF JUSTICE OPENS QUALITY ASSURANCE WORKSHOP FOR THE ELECTRONIC CASE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN NIGER STATE, NIGERIA
The Honorable President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves on February 3, 2025, presided over the opening ceremony of the Quality Assurance Workshop for the Electronic Case Management System (ECMS) at Zuma Resorts, Niger State, Nigeria.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Justice Gonçalves emphasized the critical role of the workshop in the final validation phase of the ECMS before its anticipated launch in April 2025. The event brings together key stakeholders, including the Vice President of the Court, the Chief Registrar, Directors, Project Team Members, ECMS Super Users, Consultant and some other staff, to ensure the system’s functionality and readiness.
The workshop, initially planned to follow the General Group Workshop, was rescheduled due to a seven-month gap since the external training of lawyers. The revised approach ensures that the quality assurance process is conducted before the system’s final validation by the General Group.
According to Hon. Justice Gonçalves, the primary objective of the workshop is to validate feedback collected from previous internal and external ECMS training sessions held in Togo, Ghana, and Cape Verde. The technical team will review and implement the approved upgrades to enhance system efficiency.
“The adoption of the ECMS marks a significant milestone in the Court’s digital transformation journey, improving access to justice, streamlining court processes, and facilitating electronic filing,” he stated. The system was developed in response to challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, following the Court’s issuance of Practice Directions on Virtual Court Sitting and Electronic Case Management on May 22, 2020.
Over the four-day workshop, participants will engage in a comprehensive review of feedback and system improvements, with the technical team addressing any identified challenges. Additionally, discussions will align the ECMS with existing legal frameworks, including the Court’s Protocols, Rules, and Practice Directions of 2012, 2020, and the newly signed 2025 directives. Hon. Justice Gonçalves urged all stakeholders to collaborate towards ensuring the system’s successful launch in early April 2025, stressing that Judges, staff members, and legal practitioners must be prepared for its immediate adoption. He further called on the Court’s IT Unit to assume full ownership of the transition process, ensuring the system’s long-term sustainability amidst limited resources.