Liberia's Justice Charlyne M. Brumskine and Benin's Justice Désire Henri Aihou have been elected as President and Vice President of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
The duo was elected on October 13, 2026, by the new college of five judges, marking the start of a new leadership era following the conclusion of the outgoing judges' tenure.
Justice Brumskine will lead the Court's judicial and institutional affairs for the next two years of their four-year non-renewable mandate, which ends in 2030, while Justice Aihou will serve as her deputy.
The other members of the Court are Justice Awa Bah (The Gambia), Justice Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu (Nigeria), and Justice Yaouza Ouro-Sama (Togo).
Their election comes a week after their swearing-in on October 6, 2026, at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria. The ceremony was presided over by ECOWAS Authority Chairman and Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye.
The transition comes as the Court begins implementing its Strategic Plan 2026-2030, dubbed "Justice 2030," which aims to strengthen access to justice, improve judicial efficiency, and boost public confidence in regional justice.
In her inaugural address, President Brumskine said she was happy to take on the new challenge. "With profound humility and a deep sense of duty, I address you as the newly elected President of this distinguished institution. I accept this responsibility, fully conscious of the obligations it entails and the expectations that accompany leading a regional judicial institution entrusted with interpreting community law and protecting human rights."
Outgoing President Justice Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves said the handover symbolizes institutional continuity beyond those temporarily called to serve.
The new leadership has pledged to uphold judicial independence, impartiality, integrity, and accountability.
The new college replaces outgoing judges Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves (Cape Verde), Sengu Mohamed Koroma (Sierra Leone), Dupe Atoki (Nigeria), Gberi-Bè Ouattara (Côte d'Ivoire), and Edward Amoako Asante (Ghana).