A session by the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice will be held to discuss unconstitutional changes to some member states’ governments.

The disclosure was made by Justice Edward Asante, the court’s president, on May 19 when he met with Hassan Jallow, the chief justice of The Gambia.

Prior to the international conference of the regional court due to take place in Banjul between May 22 and May 25, the visit was made.

Asante took use of the opportunity to elaborate on the four-day conference after briefing the chief justice on preparations for the event with the topic “ECOWAS’ Zero Tolerance for Unconstitutional Change of Government.”

The summit is anticipated to focus on the ECOWAS’ zero-tolerance policy for governmental policy changes that violate the constitution.

“This is an opportunity for academics, jurists and lawyers to discuss this subject against the background of the worrisome democratic reversals in Burkina Faso, Guinea and Mali following the military takeover in those countries,” he said.

He referred to the conference as one of the court’s signature initiatives, allowing it to create a forum for community discussion of current issues and the offering of solutions to problems that were discovered.

He claims that we are worried about the risk this terrible development poses to the region’s precarious democracy and that we all need to work together to stop this slide.

According to Asante, the issue was carefully chosen in light of the danger facing the region’s developing democracy.

Additionally, he stated that the theme will be broken down into seven major sub-themes by the presenters, who were primarily academics, jurists, and attorneys.

He added that it would offer them a chance to evaluate the policy’s scope, the implications of recent political changes, and suggest countermeasures to the drift.

“We hope the outcome of the conference will help the process of democratic consolidation in the region which will further deepen respect for the rule of law and human rights, both important issues for the judiciary,” he said.

He also used the chance to express his gratitude to the Chief Justice for agreeing to take part in the conference’s opening ceremony and for his assistance in helping to make the conference a success.

He also indicated the court’s readiness to cooperate with the government’s and the nation’s judicial systems in order to address the persistent problem of the low rate of execution of the regional court’s rulings.

Justice Jallow praised the ECOWAS Court for selecting The Gambia to hold its international conference in his reply.

He acknowledged that this was the first conference hosted in the nation and assured attendees that the court of The Gambia was ready and eager to support the conference’s success.

The keynote lecture of the conference is anticipated to be given by Prof. Chidi Odinkalu, a professor of human rights law at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in the United States of America.

At the start of the four-day conference, Odinkalu, a lawyer, human rights activist, and author, would present on “Zero Tolerance for Unconstitutional Change in Government in West Africa: Democracy and Rule of Law for Sustainable Development.”

The conference is anticipated to have 24 papers under seven sub-themes that will cover topics such the region’s constitutional convergence principles, the approach to unconstitutional changes in government, and the function of the military in democracies.

The conference attendees are anticipated to explore the many facets of the ECOWAS security architecture and the role of human rights in promoting democracy, peace, and security.

This would include the member nations’ duty to uphold, defend, and respect human rights as well as the function of elections as a catalyst for conflict.

The other presentations would look at how the national and ECOWAS court upholds constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and human rights.

Chief justices of member states’ Supreme Courts and the president of the ECOWAS Commission will attend the conference, which would be inaugurated by President Adama Barrow.

Attorney Generals, Ministers of Justice, leaders of ECOWAS national units from member nations, presidents of regional courts, presidents of bar associations from member states, international development partners, and presidents of regional courts will also be present.