The Deputy Chief Registrar of the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, Mrs. Marie Saine, has called on journalists across West Africa to prioritise accuracy, context, professionalism and accessibility when reporting the court’s proceedings and decisions.
Saine delivered the welcome address on behalf of the Chief Registrar at the opening of the maiden Training of the Network of Journalists from ECOWAS Member States Covering the Community Court of Justice in Abuja on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.
She said the training marked the start of a more structured engagement between the court and journalists who inform citizens about its work. The ECOWAS Court, she noted, is not merely a venue for filing and determining cases. Through its judgments and jurisprudence, it contributes to the development of legal principles, the protection of human rights, access to justice and the strengthening of the rule of law in the region.
The impact of a judicial institution, she stressed, cannot be measured only by the number of cases it decides. “A court must also be understood. Its mandate must be understood. Its procedures must be understood. Its decisions must be understood. And importantly, the significance of its jurisprudence for the people and the institutions of the region that it serves must also be understood,” Saine said. “This is where the media becomes indispensable.”
Journalists, she said, serve as an important bridge between the court and the public, most of whom do not regularly enter courtrooms and may find legal proceedings technical and remote. Responsible reporting can convey judgments beyond the courtroom and translate complex principles into language ordinary citizens can understand. Accurate and context-rich coverage should help people grasp not only what the court decided, but what the decision means and why it matters.
Saine emphasised that judicial reporting requires particular knowledge and professional judgment. Court reporters cover a process governed by legal rules rather than a simple event. She urged them to distinguish clearly between allegations and established facts, parties’ submissions and the court’s findings, procedural decisions and substantive determinations, and the legal significance of a decision versus a reporter’s personal opinion on its correctness. “These distinctions are fundamental to credible judicial reporting,” she said.
Effective reporting, she added, goes beyond announcing outcomes. It requires understanding the material facts, the issues before the court, the relevant legal framework, the court’s reasoning and the orders made. Accuracy must remain the foundation, because inaccurate reports can misrepresent litigants’ positions, distort judgments or create misunderstanding of the law. At the same time, accuracy should not come at the expense of accessibility in ECOWAS’s multicultural and multilingual community. The goal is not to produce legal treatises but information that is accurate, clear, balanced and sufficiently contextualised.
Saine also stressed the need for independent reporting that respects judicial independence. The relationship between the court and the media, she said, should rest on mutual respect for their distinct roles: the court administers justice; journalists independently and professionally inform the public. The court does not seek to dictate editorial decisions but aims to ensure journalists have reliable access to information. The Registry and the Public Information and External Relations Unit play key roles in facilitating that access, while mechanisms for providing information continue to be improved without compromising confidentiality or applicable rules.
She expressed hope that the newly established network would grow into a professional community of journalists across ECOWAS member states with a shared understanding of the court and its regional significance. Beyond the training, the network could support the exchange of experiences, promote wider coverage of the court’s work and serve as a channel for dialogue that helps the court better understand journalists’ information needs.
Participants are expected to deepen their understanding of the court’s mandate, jurisdiction, procedures, jurisprudence and institutional structure, while developing practical skills for reporting its proceedings and decisions. Saine encouraged open discussion of challenges and said the initiative’s success should be measured by better reporting and greater public awareness of the court and its contribution to justice, human rights and regional integration.
Against the backdrop of the rapid spread of information and misinformation, she said the response must be timely, accurate, transparent and properly contextualised communication. “The Court’s work should not remain confined to judgments and courtrooms. It should be understood not only by legal practitioners and institutions, but by the citizens whom the Community serves, and responsible journalism is one of the most important means through which that understanding can be achieved,” she stated.
Saine concluded by calling for a lasting partnership founded on accuracy, professionalism, independence, accessibility, mutual respect and the public interest.
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