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Citation
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Judgment date
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| January 2026 |
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The third-party opponent successfully proved the prior judgment prejudiced its property rights; ownership findings were struck out.
Third-party proceedings (Art.91 Rules) – Admissibility – Prejudice to non-party rights – Ownership dispute over commercial assets – Limits of Court’s human-rights adjudication where private property title is contested – Amendment/striking of prior judgment – Costs: each party bears own costs.
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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 |
| 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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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 |
| 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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Court finds State liable for cruel, inhuman treatment and violation of child's physical integrity and health; awards CFA 50,000,000.
Human-rights jurisdiction — admissibility without exhaustion of local remedies; standing of a parent for minor child; distinction between torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; State liability for violations of physical integrity and right to health; reparations and assessment of damages.
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7 July 2025 |
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Default judgment denied relief where applicants failed to prove State responsibility for alleged militia abuses.
ECOWAS Court jurisdiction; admissibility of NGOs—legal personality; default judgment procedure; burden of proof in human-rights claims; insufficient evidence of State responsibility for militias; rights considered: physical integrity, security, freedom of movement, assembly.
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7 July 2025 |
| 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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Whether internal remedies were exhausted and whether recruitment breached fairness and geographic distribution rules.
Administrative law — ECOWAS staff disputes — Jurisdiction under Article 9(1)(f) — Admissibility and exhaustion of internal remedies — Recruitment and appointment — Primary criterion of technical efficiency; geographical distribution ancillary — Burden of proof in discrimination claims — Protection against denigration under Staff Regulations.
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13 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 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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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 |
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Applicants’ arrests and forcible home entries violated privacy, liberty, assembly, expression and fair‑trial rights; damages awarded.
Human rights – unlawful entry into private homes; arbitrary arrest and detention; infringement of freedom of assembly, demonstration and expression; violation of right to counsel and fair trial; remedies and damages (5,000,000 CFA per applicant); costs awarded against State.
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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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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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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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13 February 2025 |
| December 2024 |
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Court found respondent liable for torture by police, awarded compensation, and rejected statute-bar and sub-judice objections.
Human rights — Jurisdiction of ECOWAS Court over individual complaints — Statute of limitations inapplicable to individual human rights claims — Sub-judice and appellate objections — Torture and ill-treatment in custody (Article 5 African Charter) — Presumption of state responsibility for injuries in detention — Duty to investigate and prosecute — Reparations (compensation and remedial orders).
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3 December 2024 |
| November 2024 |
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22 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 |
| July 2024 |
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Court lacked jurisdiction over disappearance claims but found Ghana violated the applicant's right to information and ordered disclosure.
Jurisdiction ratione loci; extraterritorial application and effective control; admissibility and indirect victim status; representative standing; right to information (African Charter Art.9(1); ICCPR Art.19(2)); obligation to disclose state-held investigative documents; remedies — disclosure ordered.
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12 July 2024 |
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Whether a Community institution lawfully summarily dismissed a staff member and suspended salary pending appeal.
ECOWAS Staff Regulations – Article 69 (disciplinary procedure) – requirement of specific notice, disclosure and adequate time to prepare defence – summary dismissal; Article 73(b) – suspension of sanctions pending appeal (includes cessation of salary); jurisdiction of Court over Community staff disputes; remedies: unlawful dismissal entitles to back pay and compensation in lieu of reinstatement; costs determination.
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10 July 2024 |
| June 2024 |
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Retroactive enactment and application of disciplinary offences violated the applicant's right to a fair hearing; limited damages awarded.
Administrative law – Civil aviation – Disciplinary proceedings by national aviation authority – Retroactive application of Ministerial Order defining offences and penalties – Violation of right to fair hearing (Article 7(2) African Charter); claims under Article 3 (equality) and Article 15/ICESCR (right to work) dismissed; reparations: expungement and CFA15,000,000 general damages.
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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 |
| May 2024 |
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Revision based on alleged undisclosed criminal charges inadmissible due to applicants' negligence.
Revision of judgment – Article 25 Protocol and Articles 92–93 Rules – discovery of new facts – timeliness – ignorance not due to negligence – public records and media disclosure – reporting obligations under Staff Regulations inapplicable post-termination.
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30 May 2024 |
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ECOWAS Court finds Benin liable for unlawful annulment of companys authorizations, breaches of property and reasonable-time rights.
Jurisdiction of ECOWAS Court despite non-ratification; corporate locus standi for property and fair-trial rights; shareholder reflective-loss doctrine; State responsibility for annulment of administrative authorizations; violation of Article 14 (property) and Article 7(1)(d) (reasonable time) of the African Charter; inadmissibility of non-state defendants.
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29 May 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 |
| November 2023 |
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ECOWAS Court found no human-rights violations, admitted expedited procedure, dismissed damages, and ordered costs against the applicant.
Human rights — Jurisdiction of ECOWAS Court; admissibility and standing of political party representative despite contested dissolution; expedited procedure for election-related urgency; non-interference with national criminal and administrative decisions; fair trial and arbitrary detention claims assessed and dismissed; property and health allegations unproven; damages dismissed; costs awarded against applicant.
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17 November 2023 |
| March 2022 |
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Whether the ECOWAS Court may hear alleged 1993–1996 human rights violations given its post-2005 temporal jurisdiction.
Human rights jurisdiction — ECOWAS Court ratione temporis — Non-retroactivity of treaties — Distinction between instantaneous and continuous violations — No jurisdiction over alleged 1993–1996 violations that did not continue after 19 January 2005.
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30 March 2022 |
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Applicants entitled to resettlement and separation allowances; accrued‑leave claim dismissed; default interest ordered.
Administrative law – Employment of international organization staff – Application of ECOWAS Staff Regulations – entitlement to resettlement and separation allowances (Articles 35(b), 35(d), 62(c)) – exhaustion of internal remedies – effect of respondent default – calculation of default interest.
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28 March 2022 |
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Applicants entitled to unpaid resettlement and separation allowances; ECOWAS ordered to pay with default interest.
ECOWAS Staff Regulations – Articles 35(b), 35(d), 62(c) – separation and resettlement allowances; jurisdiction of ECOWAS Court over disputes between Community and its officials; exhaustion of internal remedies; default judgment; dismissal of unparticularized damages claims; default interest at EBID savings rate.
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28 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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State agents’ unlawful killing and prolonged retention of a victim’s corpse violated the rights to life and dignity under the African Charter.
Human rights – Right to life – State responsibility for acts of agents – Unlawful killing by state agents – Right to dignity – Retention of corpse – Remedies and reparation under the African Charter on Human and People’s Rights – Locus standi in human rights applications.
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15 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 |
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Applicants' claims of human rights violations were dismissed for lack of legal standing as direct or representative victims.
ECOWAS Court – Human rights – Right to life and property – Locus standi – Requirement to prove victim status or authorization in representative actions – Insufficient evidence – Dismissal of claims for lack of legal capacity.
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21 October 2021 |
| September 2021 |
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A supplementary application for reinstatement and benefits after wrongful termination was dismissed as all claims had been addressed in the prior judgment.
Employment law – wrongful termination – interpretation and supplementation of court judgment – jurisdiction to grant reinstatement and arrear benefits – admissibility and limitations under Articles 63 and 64 of ECOWAS Court Rules.
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29 September 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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The Court found Togo liable for torture, arbitrary detention, and violation of freedom of assembly following police assault on a protester.
Human rights – Torture and inhuman treatment – Freedom of assembly – Arbitrary detention – State obligations – Burden of proof – Effective remedy – Compensation.
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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 |
| June 2021 |
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The Court dismissed Liberia’s application for review for lack of new decisive facts and ordered compliance with its original judgment.
ECOWAS Court of Justice – Application for review of judgment – Article 25 of the Protocol – Requirement of new and decisive fact – Finality of judgments – No appeal – Preliminary objection – Recusal of judge – Procedural requirements under ECOWAS legal framework.
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4 June 2021 |
