The Economic Community of West African States court is set to launch the Electronic Case Management System by September 2024.
The system is expected to reduce costs for lawyers and their clients.
The initiative would also assist the court’s operations.
According to a correspondence sent to our correspondent on Thursday, the ECOWAS Court President, Justice Edward Asante, disclosed this while receiving the Chairperson of the Community Audit Committee, Diane Holo-Sacramento, in Abuja.
It partly read, “Justice Asante provided an overview of the court’s initiatives aimed at improving its operations. He mentioned the Electronic Case Management System set to launch in late September, designed to reduce costs for lawyers and their clients.
“Additionally, the court conducts training program.es for lawyers and government agencies to enhance their understanding of the Court’s procedures.”
Asante said the court was short-staffed and had limited resources.
“Despite these efforts, Justice Asante noted the challenges faced by the court, particularly in terms of staffing and resource limitations. He called for increased support to address these issues and ensure the effective functioning of the court,” the statement added.
He called for increased support to address these issues and ensure the effective functioning of the court.
On her part, the Chairperson of the Audit Committee commended the ECOWAS Court for its efforts in complying with audit conditions and maintaining high standards.
Holo-Sacramento acknowledged the court’s exemplary performance compared to other institutions and encouraged continued adherence to audit recommendations to further strengthen their operations.
She highlighted the committee’s role in overseeing financial control, internal controls, and risk assessment within ECOWAS institutions.
She said since their mandate began in November 2022, the committee had been actively engaging with all ECOWAS institutions to ensure compliance with established procedures and processes.