By Amin Kef (Ranger)

The Attorney-General and Minister of Justice of Sierra Leone, Alpha Sesay Esq., has assumed a pivotal role in regional legal reforms after presiding over a two-day meeting of West African Justice Ministers in Banjul, The Gambia. The meeting marked his first engagement as the newly elected Chair of the Committee of Attorneys General and Ministers of Justice of ECOWAS member states.

According to Alpha Sesay, the deliberations centered on the review and adoption of two landmark legal instruments that will shape the future operations of the ECOWAS Court of Justice; the Draft Harmonized Protocol and the Arbitration Rules of the Court. Those developments, he said, represent critical steps toward strengthening regional justice and accessibility for citizens across member states.

He explained that the report of the Ministerial meeting, together with the draft legal texts, will be submitted for consideration by the Authority of Heads of State and Government, under the leadership of H.E. President Julius Maada Bio, who currently chairs the regional body.

The Attorney-General further clarified that the draft Harmonized Protocol was prepared by consolidating three separate protocols into a single, unified document. This move, he noted, streamlines the framework governing the Court, simplifying processes for litigants, their representatives and members of the Court, while maintaining the substance of the original legal provisions.

On the Arbitration Rules, Alpha Sesay emphasized their importance in filling a long-standing gap. He recalled that Article 9.5 of the 2005 Supplementary Protocol had entrusted the ECOWAS Court with the functions of an Arbitral Tribunal until such a body was formally established. However, the Court had been unable to develop its arbitration framework, limiting its ability to exercise that responsibility. The draft Arbitration Rules, now adopted by the Ministers, will address this issue and strengthen the Court’s mandate.

Alpha Sesay reaffirmed Sierra Leone’s commitment to supporting reforms that enhance the effectiveness, credibility and accessibility of the ECOWAS Court of Justice, stressing that those legal instruments are vital for fostering regional integration, the rule of law and the protection of citizens’ rights across West Africa. https://thecalabashnewspaper.com/attorney-general-presides-over-landmark-ecowas-legal-deliberations-in-the-gambia/