Freetown, 30 July 2025 – The Community Court of Justice, ECOWAS, in partnership with the Office of the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone, has commenced a capacity-building programme aimed at enhancing the skills of State Attorneys.
The training, which is being held at the Sierra Leone Law School Complex and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focuses on ECOWAS Community law, jurisprudence, and procedural practices before the Court.
In his opening remarks, Hon. Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, Vice-President of the ECOWAS Court, emphasized the importance of the training in strengthening participants’ understanding of the Court’s operations.
He noted that Sierra Leonean cases have previously been dismissed due to procedural lapses and technical errors, which has sometimes led the State to rely on legal practitioners from other countries.
“This initiative is tailored to equip State Attorneys with the requisite knowledge to competently represent the country before the Court,” he said.
Justice Koroma commended the Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Alpha Sesay, for prioritizing continuous professional development among legal officers.
“Sierra Leone remains actively engaged with the Court, and its decision to seek support in improving legal capacity is highly commendable. The Court remains committed to supporting Member States through training and dissemination of its jurisprudence,” he added.
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Attorney-General Alpha Sesay, in his address, reiterated his office’s dedication to effective justice delivery and protection of citizens’ rights.
He urged participants to fully engage with the programme, highlighting the critical need for legal officers to master ECOWAS Community law to ensure proper representation and alignment with international legal standards.
Training modules include key topics such as the jurisdiction of the ECOWAS Court, admissibility criteria, non-exhaustion of local remedies, sources of Community law, and the Court’s human rights mandate.
Participants are also receiving practical training in legal drafting, filing procedures, and courtroom advocacy, delivered by experienced ECOWAS Court lawyers.
The four-day programme, running from 28 to 31 July 2025, also features courtesy visits by the Court’s delegation, including its President, Hon. Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Goncalves, and Vice-President, Hon. Justice Sengu Mohamed Koroma, to senior government officials and institutions in Sierra Leone.
This engagement follows similar initiatives in other ECOWAS Member States, including a recent session held in Accra, Ghana, further underscoring the Court’s regional drive to strengthen legal capacity and deepen the rule of law across West Africa.
