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Citation
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Judgment date
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| December 2025 |
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Provisional measures denied; Court has jurisdiction under Articles 9(1)(f) and (g); admissible except African Charter claims.
Administrative law — Provisional measures: prima facie case, urgency, irreparable harm; Expedited procedure — exceptional and requires irreparable prejudice; Jurisdiction — Article 9(1)(f) and (g) applicable to disputes between Community and officials and actions for damages; Admissibility — exhaustion of internal remedies inapplicable where remedies unavailable to statutory Commissioners; African Charter claims inadmissible against ECOWAS institutions.
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10 December 2025 |
| 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 |
| May 2025 |
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Court found arbitrary detention of named applicants, dismissed plebiscite and self-determination claims, awarded limited compensation.
Human rights jurisdiction – limits on review of historical plebiscites and trusteeships; review of domestic laws only in context of alleged continuing human-rights violations; standing of NGOs requires proof of legal personality; arbitrary detention – failure to bring detainees before court within prescribed time; reparations – modest compensation and conditional release/prosecution.
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16 May 2025 |
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Prosecutorial disclosures and procedural delays breached the applicant's presumption of innocence, timely-trial rights and caused arbitrary detention.
Human rights — presumption of innocence — prosecutorial public statements — right to be tried within reasonable time — statutory review deadlines (Art. 294, 300 CCP) — arbitrary detention — reparation and systemic measures — ECOWAS Court jurisdiction.
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16 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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Court found jurisdiction but dismissed the claim because applicants failed to prove locus standi or legal personality.
Human rights — jurisdiction under Article 9(4) of the Protocol — admissibility under Article 10(d) — locus standi — direct and indirect victims — proof of relationship — legal personality of an Estate — failure to produce birth certificate or probate/Letters of Administration — dismissal for inadmissibility.
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13 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 |
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Applicant failed to prove alleged discrimination under Article 2; Court had jurisdiction but dismissed the claim for lack of evidence.
Human rights — Non-discrimination — Article 2 African Charter — burden of proof — necessity to identify and prove third‑party interactions — jurisdiction of ECOWAS Court — institutions versus Member States — admissibility of human‑rights application.
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8 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 |
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The respondent violated the applicant's right against inhuman treatment and to a timely investigation; damages and investigations ordered.
Human rights jurisdiction – Admissibility – Victim status; Evidence and burden of proof – Medical certificate and contemporaneous press reports; Prohibition of torture and inhuman or degrading treatment (Article 5 African Charter); Right to be tried/rights to a hearing within reasonable time (Article 7 African Charter) – undue delay of 14+ years; State responsibility for acts of law enforcement agents; Remedies – damages, investigation and compliance reporting; Costs ordered against State.
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9 April 2025 |
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Applicant failed to prove Cabo Verde denied access to essential medicine; Court found no violation of the right to health.
Human rights — Right to health — Access to essential medicines — State obligations to respect, protect and fulfill health rights — Burden of proof — Jurisdiction and admissibility of individual applications under ECOWAS Court jurisdiction.
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7 April 2025 |
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Court found no proven violation of reproductive rights due to insufficient evidence and limited jurisdiction to review domestic abortion laws in abstract.
Jurisdiction and admissibility — preliminary objection procedure — limits on abstract review of domestic laws — right to health and reproductive rights under African Charter and Maputo Protocol — requirement of minimum evidentiary showing for allegations of rape, pregnancy causation and denial of health services — unsuccessful claim for reparations.
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4 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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Respondent liable for arbitrary detention, degrading treatment, media-driven breach of presumption of innocence; investigation and CFA 30,000,000 awarded.
Human rights — Jurisdiction and admissibility of default judgment — Arbitrary arrest and detention — Inhuman and degrading treatment in custody — Presumption of innocence violated by public media exposure — Right to privacy, honour and reputation — Reparations and costs.
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17 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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ECOWAS Court finds fair‑trial violations (unreasonable delay and denial of defence), awards modest damages and orders costs against the State.
Human rights — jurisdiction — admissibility — expedited procedure — fair trial: presumption of innocence; right to be tried within reasonable time; right of defence (access to counsel and file) — arbitrary detention — torture and inhuman or degrading treatment — compensation and costs.
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14 March 2025 |
| February 2025 |
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Representative applicant’s failure to produce mandate rendered EndSARS-related human-rights application inadmissible despite Court’s jurisdiction.
Human rights — Jurisdiction to hear alleged violations of freedom of expression and assembly; Admissibility — victim status and standing; Representative actions — requirement of mandate/authorization for actions on behalf of determinable victims; Failure to produce authorization renders representative application inadmissible.
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14 February 2025 |
| January 2025 |
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Court found jurisdiction but dismissed application as inadmissible for lack of proper locus standi and mandate.
Human rights jurisdiction — ECOWAS Court jurisdiction over alleged rights violations from domestic law application; admissibility — Article 10(d) Supplementary Protocol; actio popularis; corporate standing for freedom of expression claims; representative actions require mandate; broadcasting regulation v. freedom of expression.
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27 January 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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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 |
