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international · international court

ECOWAS Community Court of Justice

Reviewed· 2026-08-03Abuja

Unusually for a trade-bloc court, it accepts human rights applications from individuals with no requirement to exhaust domestic remedies, which has made it the most accessible international human rights forum in West Africa.

How the court is constituted

Tier
international
Court type
Sub-regional court with a human rights mandate
Jurisdiction
The fifteen ECOWAS member states
Seat
Abuja
Established
1991
Composition
Judges appointed for a four-year renewable term
Languages
English, French, Portuguese

Where an appeal goes next

Final

Filing at this court

Exhaustion of domestic remedies
Not required for human rights applications

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