HIGHLIGHT ON THE WEST AFRICAN JUDICIAL COLLOQUIUM
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On January 9-11, the West African Research Center (Warc) and the Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life, Brandeis University (USA), hosted in Dakar, the West African Judicial Colloquium. On the occasion, eleven high court judges, four international judges and eight law specialists including law professors, gathered in the senegalese capital. The aim of the meeting was to promote an exchange of experience and expertise between national and international judges. The eleven national judges hailed from the following countries: Nigeria, Liberia, Niger, Guinea Conakry, Togo, Chad, Burkina Faso, Guinea Bissau, Benin, Cape Verde and Mauritania.
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The international judges serving or having served in international courts came
from South Africa (1), Zambia (1), Mali (1) and Italy (1). The presenters included
law specialists from Senegal, South Africa, Nigeria, Canada and the United States.
The organisers were the Directors of the Center for Ethics, Justice and Public
Life and the West African Research Center assisted by their respective staff
members.
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The first day of the Colloquium opened with welcome addresses from the Director of the Center for Ethics, Justice and Public Life of Brandeis University, Dan Terris, the Director of the West African Research Center, Ousmane Sene, the Colloquium co-director, Richard Goldstone, from South Africa. The sessions which followed focused on "Basic Rights and Human Rights in International and National Jurisdictions" and "National Courts and the Use of International Law - the Experience of South Africa" respectively discussed by Babacar Kante, Professor of Law at University Gaston Berger(Senegal) and vice-president of the senegalese Constitutional Council and Richard Goldstone from South Africa.
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In the afternoon the keynote speech was delivered by Ambassador Ould Abdallah, Representative of the United nations Secretary General in West Africa. The session was chaired by the Senegalese Minister of Justice, His Excellency Cheikh Tidiane Sy. Before the keynote speaker took the floor, statements were made by the President of University Cheikh Anta Diop, Prof Abdou Salam Sall, Dan Terris of Brandeis University, Richard Goldstone, the Colloquium Co-director and Ousmane Sene, Warc Director. The ceremony, which was held in the Conference Hall of the Ucad II Complex on the campus of University Cheikh Anta Diop, was attended by judges from senegalese high jurisdictions, senegalese lawyers, senegalese government ministers, law professors, representatives of various diplomatic missions in Dakar, faculty researchers and students. It was largely covered by the print and electronic media including the senegalese national television network and major dailies as well as by international media such as the Panafrican News Agency (Pana).
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The keynote ceremony was followed by a lavish and lively reception held in the gardens of the West African Center (Warc).
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The next day, the various sessions scheduled resumed at Hotel Meridien President and the Colloquium was formally concluded on January 11 with addresses made by the organisers(Warc and Brandeis) and the Colloquium Directors, Richard Goldstone and Professor Babacar Kante.
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After the Colloquium, Warc, in collaboration with the Center for Judicial Training
- CFJ (Senegal) and the Institute for Human Rights and Peace - IDHP ( University
Cheikh Anta Diop, Senegal), held a Round Table on the theme: "Implementation
of International Conventions by National Jurisdictions" on Friday January 13,
2006 from 3:30pm to 6:30pm at the Ucad II Complex on University Cheikh Anta
Diop Campus. The event was attended by law students, diplomats, reporters and
several other participants including diplomats.
The Round Table was chaired by Prof Amsatou Sow Sidibé, Director of the
Institute for Human Rights and Peace at Ucad and featured presentations by lawyers
from Liberia, Guinea Bissau, Benin, Burkina Faso and Mauritania and the Director
of the senegalese Center for Judicial Training.
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While priding itself of having been a key player in the holding of this successful and landmark Colloquium, the West African Research Center would like to re-iterate its heartfelt thanks to the Center of Ethics, Justice and Public Life, and particularly to its director, Dan Terris, and assistant director, Leigh Swigart for the beautiful team work, team spirit and trust and the Lagos-based Ford Foundation representation in West Africa for its much appreciated financial support
Ousmane Sene
Warc Director
