Pro-Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, Professor Charles Barnor has hinted of management’s preparedness to partner the ECOWAS Court of Justice in the areas of practical lawyering and moot courts, especially in trans-national law and adjudication.

The strategic partnership will seek to deepen the UPSA Law School’s ties with international and sub-state institutions in Africa and further enhance the knowledge of the court’s work as well as its role among law students and lawyers.

It would also open new frontiers for student engagements with the sub-regional Court as well as the overall training of the next generation of lawyers who are steeped in the culture and jurisprudence of the Court.

Prof. Charles Barnor made these known at a special event held in honour of Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice who paid a special working visit to the UPSA Law School on Wednesday, March 31, 2021.

In his welcome address, Prof Barnor said the University was delighted and proud to have hosted Justice Asante. He stressed that the historic visit by the preeminent ambassador is a testament to the confidence reposed in the University’s burgeoning law school.

“You chose to visit us in the midst of many other places to go,” Prof Barnor said. “And for us, this represents a testament to the confidence you repose in our relatively young [law] school and the future of our project.”

Prof Barnor further added that the management of UPSA was looking forward to tapping into the opportunity of building strong ties with the ECOWAS Court in areas that would inure to the overall benefit of its students both within and outside the academic spheres.

He said the UPSA was built on the values and principles of practical scholarship and the Court’s nascent relationship with the university fits into that philosophy of training students who are alive to the evolving laws and legal institutions of their environment.

He, therefore, pledged management’s determination to work together with the Court to make this dream a reality.

Responding to the call by the Pro-VC, Justice Edward Amoako Asante welcomed the university’s initiatives and commended the Dean of the UPSA Law School, Prof Ernest Kofi Abotsi for his efforts in helping with the elevation of the UPSA Law School.

Hon. Justice Edward Amoako Asante, President of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Justice Asante said he also looks forward to deepening ties with the University especially the UPSA Law School where students through exchange programmes could do their internships with the apex court of the sub-region.

“We have a very good research department [at the ECOWAS Court] and those [of you] who want to do your research work at the master’s level can fall on us for assistance,” Justice Asante said.

Hon. Justice Asante climaxed his one-day working visit with a presentation on the work of the ECOWAS court, its accessibility and opportunities presented by its establishment.