Regional and international law
ECOWAS and African Union treaties that bind Sierra Leone, and the ECOWAS Court's judgments in cases against Sierra Leone.
Posted By lanbuk.com
Every date and decision on this page comes from the official source linked beside it: the African Union's treaty records, the ECOWAS Commission and the ECOWAS Court of Justice. Lanbuk links to the official texts and does not copy them.
Treaties
- ECOWASECOWAS Revised Treaty, 1993
In force 23 August 1995. Sierra Leone: ratified 10 May 1994.
- African UnionAfrican Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights, 1981
In force 21 October 1986. Sierra Leone: ratified 21 September 1983.
- African UnionMaputo Protocol on the Rights of Women, 2003
In force 25 November 2005. Sierra Leone: ratified 3 July 2015.
- African UnionAfrican Children's Charter, 1990
In force 29 November 1999. Sierra Leone: ratified 13 May 2002.
ECOWAS Court of Justice: cases against Sierra Leone
- Established in 1991 by Protocol A/P.1/7/91, and operational from January 2001.
- Its seat is in Abuja, Nigeria.
- Supplementary Protocol A/SP.1/01/05 (2005) expanded its jurisdiction and empowered it to hear cases brought by individuals on human rights violations.
Source: the Court's history. The list below is every judgment the Court publishes for Sierra Leone as respondent, taken from its case list. Each summary restates only what the Court declared and ordered.
Filter and sort
- Violation foundChild marriage
Adamsay Kabia & Anor. v Republic of Sierra Leone
25 June 2026 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/09/24 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/36/26
Sierra Leone violated the first applicant's right to protection against child marriage (Article 21, African Children's Charter), her right to freedom from gender-based discrimination and violence (African Charter, Maputo Protocol and CEDAW), and her right to an effective remedy.
Ordered compensation equivalent to US$10,000, investigation and, where appropriate, prosecution of those implicated in the marriage, free counselling and rehabilitation, and legal reform including an explicit prohibition of child marriage. Sierra Leone was ordered to pay the applicants' costs.
- Violation foundFemale genital mutilation
Forum Against Harmful Practices and Others v Republic of Sierra Leone
8 July 2025 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/16/23 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/40/25
Found violations of the third applicant's human rights arising from female genital mutilation inflicted on her.
Ordered Sierra Leone to take immediate legislative measures to prohibit and sanction female genital mutilation, to adopt measures to eradicate it, to pay the third applicant the equivalent of US$30,000 in Leones, and to investigate and prosecute those responsible.
- Violation foundSexual violence; access to justice
Satta Lamin Banya v Republic of Sierra Leone
20 March 2025 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/51/21 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/15/25
Date from the judgment's cover page; its closing line reads 20th March, 2024.
Found violations of the applicant's right to a remedy and access to justice and of her right not to be subjected to inhuman and degrading treatment; found no violation of the right not to be discriminated against on the basis of gender.
Ordered Sierra Leone to pay US$30,000 as reparation, to adopt measures to protect against, punish and eradicate sexual violence against women, and to provide support services for victims.
- DismissedLand
Cassandra Garber and Others v Republic of Sierra Leone
17 March 2025 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/22/21 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/12/25
Held that the claims had become moot in light of the National Land Commission Act 2022 and the Customary Land Rights Act 2022, and dismissed the application and the request for damages.
- Violation foundLoitering laws
AdvocAid Ltd v Republic of Sierra Leone
7 November 2024 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/18/22 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/33/24
Declared that keeping and enforcing Sierra Leone's loitering laws violates the rights to non-discrimination and equality before the law (Articles 2 and 3(1), African Charter) and freedom of movement (Article 12(1)), and that Sierra Leone violated Article 1 by not amending or repealing them.
Ordered Sierra Leone to amend, modify or repeal the loitering laws to bring them into conformity with the African Charter.
- Violation foundUse of force at a demonstration (Makeni)
Hassan Kargbo and Others v Sierra Leone
14 October 2024 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/36/22 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/37/24
A default judgment. The application was admissible only for Hassan Kargbo and Mohamed Fornah. The Court found no violation of their rights to an effective remedy or to life, but found that Sierra Leone violated their right to security of person.
Ordered US$15,000 in damages to each of them, measures to prevent the use of force by security officers at peaceful demonstrations, and an investigation of the incident at Makeni to identify and prosecute those responsible.
- InadmissibleAccess of a company to the Court
Taakor Tropical Hardwood Company Ltd. v The Republic of Sierra Leone
24 January 2019 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/11/18 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/02/19
Held on a preliminary objection that the company's action was "manifestly not maintainable against the Defendant for lack of capacity", and declared it inadmissible.
- No violation foundTerminal benefits of former Sierra National Airlines staff
Khadijatu Bangura & 179 Others v Republic of Sierra Leone & Anor.
19 May 2016 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/09/14 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/17/16
Declared the application admissible, held that Sierra National Airlines should not have been cited as a party, declared the claims unfounded and struck them out, with costs against the applicants.
- Violation foundDismissal from the police without a hearing
Mohammed El Tayyib Bah v Republic of Sierra Leone
4 May 2015 · Application ECW/CCJ/APP/20/13 · Judgment ECW/CCJ/JUD/11/15
Declared the applicant's dismissal from the police illegal, null and void because it was done without a hearing, in violation of the right to a fair hearing (Article 7(1), African Charter).
Ordered his reinstatement with all outstanding salaries, benefits and entitlements, and US$250,000 in general damages.
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