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Citation
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Judgment date
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| January 2026 |
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The Court found jurisdiction and admitted the applicant's claim of unlawful arrest, torture, detention and malicious prosecution.
Human rights jurisdiction – Article 9(4) Protocol A/Pl/7/91 (as amended) – Allegations of unlawful arrest, torture and degrading treatment – Admissibility – Criminal proceedings do not automatically oust human rights jurisdiction – ECOWAS Community Court case-law.
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30 January 2026 |
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Court finds no torture but a violation of the Applicant's right to physical integrity; awards CFA 10,000,000 and costs.
Human rights jurisdiction; admissibility (no requirement to exhaust domestic remedies); victim status; prohibition of torture vs. injury in crowd-control context; right to physical integrity (ACHPR Article 4); reparations and costs.
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29 January 2026 |
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Court dismissed torture claim but found State liable for violation of applicant's physical integrity and awarded damages.
Human rights jurisdiction — admissibility (no exhaustion requirement) — victim status — distinction between torture/cruel treatment and unlawful use of force — violation of physical integrity — compensation awarded.
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26 January 2026 |
| November 2025 |
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Requirement that military personnel resign before ECOWAS permanent conversion lawful; applicant's salary suspension for assuming ministerial office justified.
Public international/Employment law – ECOWAS public service – jurisdiction under Article 9(1)(f) – admissibility and exhaustion of internal remedies when procedures non-operational – conversion of contract staff to permanent status – military status and exclusive loyalty – non-binding nature of Council recommendations – salary suspension for constructive abandonment and breach of exclusivity.
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19 November 2025 |
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The respondent's failure to reconstitute its NHRC governing council violated the applicant's right to a timely fair hearing.
Human rights — Right to a fair hearing within a reasonable time (Article 7(1)(d), African Charter) — Applicability to quasi-judicial bodies (NHRC) — State responsibility for institutional inaction — Jurisdiction and admissibility of human-rights applications — Reparations: general damages and orders to ensure determination.
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17 November 2025 |
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Applicants' human‑rights claims dismissed: alleged violations predate ECOWAS Court's temporal jurisdiction.
Human rights jurisdiction — temporal jurisdiction — non‑retroactivity of treaties — continuing violations doctrine — Articles on State Responsibility (Article 14) — ECOWAS Court mandate from 19 January 2005.
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10 November 2025 |
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Whether prolonged detention under a mandatory death sentence and lack of medical care violate rights to freedom from torture and health.
Human rights — Death penalty — Mandatory death sentence and method (hanging) — prolonged detention on death row as torture/cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment — Right to health of prisoners — ECOWAS Court jurisdiction and reparations (commutation/release, medical care, compensation).
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10 November 2025 |
| July 2025 |
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Revision application dismissed as inadmissible: alleged "new facts" were pre‑existing legal issues; costs awarded to respondent.
Revision of judgment; Article 27 Protocol – requirements for revision (new, decisive, unknown fact, not due to negligence); admissibility under Article 94 Rules; jurisdiction to hear revision applications; res judicata and preclusion of issues previously decided.
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8 July 2025 |
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State breached obligations by failing to criminalize FGM and by not investigating and remedying an FGM victim's harm.
Human rights — Female genital mutilation (FGM) — State obligation under Maputo Protocol Article 5 and ACRWC Article 21 to criminalize and sanction FGM — State duty to investigate and provide effective remedies — Right to security of person — Inhuman or degrading treatment; torture not established — Reparations and legislative relief.
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8 July 2025 |
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Alleged failure to promote a magistrate was not established as discrimination; promotion was discretionary and claimant lacked evidence.
Human rights — Equality before the law — Promotion of magistrates — Discretionary executive appointments — Burden of proof and evidentiary requirements for discrimination claims.
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2 July 2025 |
| May 2025 |
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Prolonged pretrial detention violated rights to liberty, movement, fair trial and amounted to inhuman treatment; release and compensation ordered.
Human rights — Jurisdiction of ECOWAS Community Court — Admissibility — Limitation period inapplicable to human rights claims — Arbitrary arrest and prolonged pretrial detention — Rights to liberty, freedom of movement, fair trial within reasonable time — Cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment — Reparations: release and compensation.
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15 May 2025 |
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Unlawful internet and social media shutdowns violated applicants' rights to freedom of expression, information and to work.
Human rights — internet and social media shutdowns — legality, necessity and proportionality — freedom of expression and access to information (Art 19 ICCPR; Art 9 African Charter) — standing of juristic persons for expression claims — right to work (Art 6 ICESCR; Art 15 African Charter) — reparations — ECOWAS/UEMOA regulatory instruments not human-rights instruments for jurisdictional purposes.
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14 May 2025 |
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Court dismissed abstract challenge to alleged vagrancy laws for lack of identifiable victims and therefore no jurisdiction.
Jurisdiction – Article 9(4) ECOWAS Court Protocol – requirement of real and identifiable victims – no jurisdiction for abstract review of domestic vagrancy laws absent concrete instances of rights violations.
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14 May 2025 |
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Respondent held liable for arbitrary arrest and property violation; dignity/torture claim unproven; USD 20,000 awarded.
Human rights — ECOWAS Court jurisdiction — Default judgment under Rule 90 — Arbitrary arrest and detention (Article 6 ACHPR) — Right to property seizure (Article 14 ACHPR) — Dignity/torture claim unproven — Reparation and costs.
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13 May 2025 |
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Court dismissed human-rights claim of intellectual-property theft, finding IP and criminal aspects outside its competence.
Human rights — Right to property (Article 14 ACHPR) — Intellectual property rights and registration — Distinction between deprivation/control (human-rights breach) and allegations of theft/passing-off (criminal/domestic IP matters) — ICCPR Article 26 (equality) — Jurisdictional limits: Berne Convention and WIPO Copyright Treaty outside ECOWAS Court competence — Admissibility — Costs: parties bear own costs.
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12 May 2025 |
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Court finds respondent unlawfully prevented applicant leaving Senegal, violating freedom of movement, and awards compensation.
Human rights — Freedom of movement — Article 12(2) African Charter — Evidence and burden of proof — Arbitrary administrative restrictions — Reparations and costs.
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9 May 2025 |
| April 2025 |
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Whether successive prosecutions violated the applicant's non bis in idem and right of defence; court found no violation.
Human rights — Fair trial — Non bis in idem (res judicata) — Distinct facts and successive prosecutions — Right of defence — Accused's presence required; counsel cannot always plead in absence — Damages — Burden to prove actual loss — Counterclaim for abusive proceedings dismissed.
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12 April 2025 |
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Court admits only freedom of expression claims; strikes down vague blasphemy laws and orders repeal/amendment as incompatible with international law.
Human rights – Jurisdiction – actio popularis – admissibility of freedom of expression claims; Freedom of expression – limits must be lawful, legitimate and necessary – vagueness defeats legality; Blasphemy laws – death penalty disproportionate; State responsibility for laws of federating units.
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9 April 2025 |
| March 2025 |
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State liable for failing to investigate sexual violence; awarded compensation and ordered preventive and victim-support measures.
Human rights — ECOWAS Court jurisdiction and admissibility — State due diligence to investigate sexual violence — Preservation of medical and police evidence — Right to effective remedy — Sexual violence as inhuman/cruel treatment — Reparations and victim support obligations.
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20 March 2025 |
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Claims of statutory discrimination over land were declared moot after 2022 land laws repealed the impugned statute; damages denied.
Human rights — land rights — alleged statutory discrimination against an ethnic community — Provinces Land Act (Cap.122) — National Land Commission Act 2022 and Customary Land Rights Act 2022 repeal and reform — admissibility and default judgment — reparations refused for lack of evidential proof.
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17 March 2025 |
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Court: failure to create a sixth state does not, by itself, violate equality or development rights; foreign NGO struck off.
Human rights — actio popularis — standing of NGOs in public interest actions — limits of Court’s remit over internal territorial organization — Article 19 (peoples’ equality), Article 22 (right to development) African Charter; Article 26 ICCPR — margin of appreciation in creating subnational units.
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17 March 2025 |
| February 2025 |
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Applicants lacked standing to sue on behalf of the deceased absent proof of relationship or legal mandate.
Human rights jurisdiction — continuing state obligations — temporal jurisdiction; admissibility — victim status/standing under Article 10(d); not an invitation to exercise appellate jurisdiction over domestic courts; Article 9(3) limitation inapplicable to human rights cases.
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28 February 2025 |
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Failure to appeal to the Council of Ministers rendered the applicant's claim inadmissible.
ECOWAS Court jurisdiction — disputes between Community and officials; admissibility — mandatory exhaustion of internal remedies; Article 73(a) Staff Regulations — appeal to Council of Ministers required despite "may"; retired staff count as officials for Court access; dismissal for failure to exhaust remedies.
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28 February 2025 |
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State agents' use of lethal force and the State's inadequate investigation violated the victim's rights to life and fair hearing.
Human rights — Right to life (Article 4 African Charter) — State responsibility for lethal actions of security forces — Duty to conduct prompt, effective investigation and provide remedies — Right to fair hearing (Article 7) — Proof of victim status and admissibility.
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28 February 2025 |
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An application framed as a human-rights claim cannot compel the ECOWAS Court to review or set aside national court decisions.
ECOWAS Court jurisdiction – human rights – right to property – limits of jurisdiction – application as disguised appeal against national court decisions – inadmissibility for lack of competence – costs awarded to respondent.
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14 February 2025 |
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Court found jurisdiction but dismissed NGO’s public interest suit for inadmissibility due to failure to identify envisagable victims.
Human rights — jurisdiction under Supplementary Protocol Article 9(4) — admissibility of public interest litigation — NGO locus standi — actio popularis — requirement to envisage victim class — Dasin Hausa Dam flooding allegations.
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14 February 2025 |
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Court finds ECOWAS sanctions lawful, rejects damages claim and dismisses application as unfounded.
Community law – jurisdiction under Art.9(1)(g) for damages claims against Community institutions; admissibility and default judgment; sanctions and measures under Art.77(3) Revised Treaty and Democracy and Good Governance Protocol; legality vs arbitrariness of ECOWAS measures; no liability for lawful acts of the Community; limits of Art.9(4) human-rights jurisdiction.
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14 February 2025 |
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Court found jurisdiction and admissibility but dismissed claims for lack of evidence linking state agents to violations.
Human rights — Court jurisdiction over alleged violations in Member States; admissibility; limits on adjudicating purely national constitutional claims; state responsibility requires attribution of acts to the State; insufficient evidence dismisses claims for violations of ACHPR Articles 3, 6, 12(1), 14 and 21.
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13 February 2025 |
| December 2024 |
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Prolonged unresolved criminal investigations violated the applicant's right to work; media publications by private actors were not attributable to the State.
Jurisdiction — Admissibility — Default judgment formalities — State responsibility and attribution — Media publications and presumption of innocence — Interdiction pending investigation — Prolonged investigations and violation of right to work — Reparations and procedural remedies.
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3 December 2024 |
| November 2024 |
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Default judgment refused where applicant failed to verify identity and produce sufficiently probative evidence of torture.
Human rights – Alleged torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment by state security agents – Default judgment – jurisdiction and admissibility – service and formalities – evidentiary requirements; identity verification and probative value of photos and affidavits – burden to satisfy Court despite respondent's default.
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14 November 2024 |
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Maintenance and enforcement of vague loitering laws violate rights to non-discrimination, equality, and freedom of movement.
Human rights — Vagrancy/loitering laws — Vagueness and overbroad discretion — Discriminatory impact on poor and vulnerable groups — Violation of Articles 2, 3(1) and 12(1) of the African Charter — State obligation under Article 1 to amend or repeal incompatible laws — Public interest standing — Exhaustion of local remedies not required for admissibility.
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7 November 2024 |
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Court finds jurisdiction and admissibility for a human-rights challenge to continued death-row detention; NGOs lacked standing.
Human-rights jurisdiction (Art.9(4) Protocol) – Limitations not applicable to human-rights claims (Art.9(3)) – Admissibility of challenges arising from national judicial decisions – Distinction between reviewing national judgments and assessing state responsibility for human-rights violations – Locus standi of NGOs to sue on behalf of individuals.
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7 November 2024 |
| October 2024 |
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Court lacked temporal jurisdiction over 1990 massacre claims; limitation inapplicable but non‑retroactivity barred adjudication.
Human-rights jurisdiction – Ratione temporis – Non‑retroactivity of the 2005 Supplementary Protocol (critical date 19 Jan 2005) – Statute of limitations inapplicable to human-rights enforcement – Continuing-violation doctrine – Duty to investigate as ancillary to substantive right.
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17 October 2024 |
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The respondent violated two applicants' right to security; court orders $15,000 each, investigation and measures to prevent excessive force.
Human rights — Use of force by law enforcement — Right to security of person — Admissibility and standing of heirs — Default judgment for State non‑appearance — Duty to investigate and prosecute — Compensation awarded.
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14 October 2024 |
| June 2024 |
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Court had jurisdiction but dismissed the applicants' property claim for lack of locus standi; costs awarded.
Human rights jurisdiction – Article 9(4) Supplementary Protocol – locus standi – right to property under ACHPR – admissibility requirements under Article 10(d) – banking/consumer dispute versus human rights claim – burden of proof of ownership.
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6 June 2024 |
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Whether delay in issuing land title and alleged failure to protect property violated applicants' right to property.
Human rights — Property rights (Article 14 African Charter) — Tribal Land Certificates vs. formal title under Liberian Public Lands Law — Presidential signature required for vesting title — Corporate applicant capacity (limited exception) — State positive obligation to protect property and attribution of private actors' conduct — Burden to show notice and failure to act by authorities.
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6 June 2024 |
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The Court lacks competence to enforce its own judgments; enforcement follows the writ procedure and lies with national and Community authorities.
Enforcement of Community Court judgments — Competence to enforce judgments — Article 24 Supplementary Protocol (2005) — Writ of execution issued by Chief Registrar — Locus standi and sanctions under Supplementary Act on Sanctions — Prior jurisprudence on enforcement jurisdiction.
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6 June 2024 |
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Domestic military immunity cannot oust ECOWAS Court jurisdiction; exhaustion of local remedies is not required.
Human rights – Right to life (Article 4 African Charter) – Jurisdiction of ECOWAS Community Court – Domestic immunity (Armed Forces Act s.239) cannot oust international jurisdiction – Pacta sunt servanda – Non‑exhaustion of local remedies not a bar to access.
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6 June 2024 |
| February 2024 |
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State liable for indiscriminate police shooting; violations of security, torture and failure to provide effective remedy.
Human rights — Use of force by law enforcement — Right to security of the person (African Charter Art.6; ICCPR Art.9) — Torture and inhuman treatment (African Charter Art.5; ICCPR Art.7; CAT Art.1) — State obligation to investigate and provide effective remedies — Reparations and preventive measures (training, prosecution, medical costs).
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28 February 2024 |
| March 2022 |
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Court dismissed challenge to a draft Hate Speech Bill for failure to prove an imminent violation of freedom of expression.
Freedom of expression – Anticipatory human rights violations – Jurisdiction to review legislative process – Burden of proof and need for certified copy of draft bill/Hansard – Proportionality of restrictions under Article 27(2) African Charter.
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29 March 2022 |
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Applicants challenging a draft hate‑speech bill failed to prove imminent violations; court dismissed their claims and denied relief.
Human rights — Freedom of expression — Anticipatory/injunctive claims against draft legislation — Jurisdiction and admissibility — Burden and standard of proof — Need for certified copy of the bill/Hansard to show reasonable and convincing indices of imminent violation.
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29 March 2022 |
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Unreasonable prosecutorial delay violated the applicant’s right to a fair hearing; other human-rights claims dismissed.
Human rights — fair trial — unreasonable length of criminal proceedings — State responsibility for omissions — remedy and investigation obligations — discrimination test (comparators) — damages for procedural delay.
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23 March 2022 |
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State violated detainee’s right to life and failed to investigate death in custody; compensation ordered.
Human rights — Deaths in custody — Right to life (Article 4 African Charter) — State’s duty to provide plausible explanation and to conduct prompt, effective and impartial investigation — Delayed autopsy — Torture allegation — Presumption of innocence — Admissibility despite parallel African Commission proceedings.
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21 March 2022 |
| February 2022 |
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The ECOWAS Court rejected claims of denial of fair hearing in Nigerian electoral appeal, finding no proven human rights violation.
Human rights – Right to fair hearing – Alleged judicial impropriety in electoral matters – Jurisdiction of ECOWAS Court in reviewing domestic court conduct for human rights violations – Threshold for establishing violation – Independence of judiciary – Admissibility requirements.
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17 February 2022 |
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The Court struck out an ECOWAS staff member’s employment dispute for failure to exhaust internal remedies before applying.
Administrative law – employment disputes – ECOWAS staff – exhaustion of internal remedies – time limitation – jurisdiction – premature application where internal review not completed.
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17 February 2022 |
| October 2021 |
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No violation found where applicant failed to prove denial of fair hearing or effective judicial remedy due to judicial delay.
Human rights – fair hearing – right to trial within reasonable time – effective judicial remedy – burden of proof – admissibility – jurisdiction – judicial delay – appellate procedures – ECOWAS Court not an appellate forum for national courts' decisions unless proven human rights violations.
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27 October 2021 |
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Imposition of high nomination fees by political parties is not a state violation of the right to political participation under Article 13.
Human rights – political participation – nomination fees for elective office – domestic electoral law – ECOWAS Court jurisdiction – margin of appreciation – no violation of Article 13 African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights by State where fees are set by political parties under national law.
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27 October 2021 |
| July 2021 |
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The court found Togo liable for torture, denial of fair hearing, and unlawful termination of a soldier’s employment, awarding compensation.
Human rights – torture – cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment – arbitrary dismissal – right to fair hearing – right to work – admissibility – state responsibility for acts of agents – inquiry and reparations
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9 July 2021 |
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A non-permanent staff member's claims for wrongful dismissal and benefits failed as his contract lawfully expired and regulations excluded such entitlements.
Labour law – ECOWAS Community staff regulations – employment categories – distinction between permanent and non-permanent staff – contract renewal and conversion – discrimination – wrongful dismissal – exhaustion of internal remedies – claims for contractual benefits by non-permanent employees.
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7 July 2021 |
