ECOWAS Court Ruling on Togo's 2024 Constitutional Reform Discussed by Jurists

On Friday in Lomé, Togo, the Cadre National de Concertation pour le Changement (CNCC) hosted a conference-debate to discuss a ruling by the ECOWAS Court of Justice concerning Togo's 2024 constitutional reform. The event, themed "The ECOWAS Court of Justice ruling on the 2024 constitutional reform in Togo: a major jurisprudential turning point in Africa?", brought together prominent jurists and political actors to dissect the implications of the regional court's decision. Discussions were structured around two main communications: a legal analysis of the ruling and an examination of its political stakes and the role of the international community. Notably, Professor Komi Wolou asserted that the Court unequivocally found the Togolese government's constitutional modifications to be unconstitutional, referencing the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance (ACDEG). However, Me Ismaïla Konaté highlighted a perceived "distortion between the reasoning and the operative part" of the ruling, suggesting the need for a new referral to the Court for rectification.