Liberia’s Charlyne Brumskine Elected ECOWAS Court President, Benin’s Aihou Vice-President

Justice Charlyne M. Brumskine of Liberia has been elected President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, with Justice Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin emerging as Vice-President.

The two judges were elected on Tuesday by the court’s newly constituted college of judges, marking the beginning of a new leadership tenure at the regional judicial institution following the conclusion of the previous college’s term.

Speaking after her election, Brumskine pledged to uphold judicial independence, strengthen the rule of law and promote the fair and timely administration of justice across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

She described her appointment as a responsibility to serve the court, the regional bloc and its people, rather than a personal achievement.

“I accept this responsibility fully conscious of the obligations it entails and the expectations that accompany leading a regional judicial institution entrusted with interpreting and applying community law and protecting human rights,” she said.

Brumskine said her administration would build on the achievements of previous leadership teams while addressing institutional challenges and improving the court’s effectiveness and credibility.

She stressed that the transition should preserve the institution’s existing foundations rather than begin its work afresh, noting that successive colleges of judges, judicial officers, management and staff had contributed to its development.

“The incoming College’s responsibility, therefore, is not to begin anew but to build on the foundations already established, preserve the institution’s core values, and respond constructively to the challenges and opportunities ahead,” she said.

The new president said the incoming leadership would review handover notes, the court’s state-of-affairs report and relevant legal and administrative documents to ensure continuity in its governance and operations.

She also identified the need to improve the quality, consistency and accessibility of the court’s judgments and legal decisions, while encouraging compliance with its rulings. Brumskine pledged to maintain constructive cooperation with other ECOWAS institutions without compromising the court’s judicial independence.

On internal administration, she promised to promote professionalism, accountability, staff welfare, capacity building and greater institutional efficiency. She added that the leadership would set out its strategic priorities after consultations and a careful assessment of the court’s operations.

Brumskine urged members of the new college to work collectively, emphasising that judicial excellence, mutual respect and shared responsibility would be essential to fulfilling the court’s mandate.

Five judges were sworn in on October 7, 2026, in Abuja by Senegalese President Bassirou Faye, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government. They are serving a four-year, non-renewable tenure.

The judges are Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin, Awa Bah of The Gambia, Charlyne M. Brumskine of Liberia, Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria and Dr Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo.

Their appointments were approved by the ECOWAS Authority at its 69th Ordinary Session in Lungi, Sierra Leone, on July 19, 2026, under a December 2025 Supplementary Act concerning the Community Court of Justice. The law requires candidates for appointment to have at least 20 years of professional experience.