ECOWAS Court To Train Sierra Leone Lawyers, Law Students

The ECOWAS Court will hold a training programme for Sierra Leone lawyers and law students on the sidelines of its 2024 international conference to deepen their knowledge of the Court and improve their practice, according to the Court’s President, Justice Edward Amoako Asante.

The president stated during a meeting with the executive of the Sierra Leone Bar Association (SLBA) in Freetown on Tuesday that the resource persons for the training will be senior lawyers from the Court who will attend the conference.

He stated that the training would hopefully fill a knowledge gap in the Court among legal practitioners in the country, given that the majority of the lawyers appearing before the Court for Sierra Leone cases were from outside the country.

Justice Asante urged the leadership of the SLBA to help with the process for the successful conduct of the training, working in collaboration with other relevant bodies in the country including the leadership of the law school to streamline the participation and other elements of the training.

He announced that the President of the SLBA, Eddinia Michaela Swallow Esq., will deliver a goodwill message at the Court’s 2024 conference, which will be historic because it will be the first time the President of a country’s bar association has been permitted to do so since the inaugural conference in 2004.
Earlier, the President of the SLBA had thanked the Court for the ‘amazing opportunity,’ granted the country to host the conference describing it as the fulfilment of a dream for her and members of the legal profession in the country.

She suggested that the Court collaborate with Member State bar associations to educate lawyers about the Court’s specifics in order to improve their practice, particularly for those who may appear before the Court.
Justice Asante is leading a 12-member delegation from the Court to discuss arrangements for the successful hosting of the Court’s 2024 international conference, which is scheduled to take place between May 13th and 16th, 2024.

The conference’s theme is “Improving the role, relevance, and effectiveness of the ECOWAS Court of Justice by strengthening synergies between the Court and national stakeholders.”

The President stated that it will serve as a forum for constructive discussions about the Court’s strengths and weaknesses in its relationships with various national stakeholders, as well as practical solutions to improve the Court’s role, relevance, and effectiveness.