Gambiaj.com – (BANJUL, The Gambia) – Gambian legal luminary Gaye Sowe has been appointed Director of Legal Affairs at the ECOWAS Commission and officially assumed office on Monday, marking a significant milestone for The Gambia within the West African regional bloc.
Mr. Sowe brings to the role more than 28 years of extensive practical, judicial, and professional experience across domestic, regional, and international legal systems.
Until his appointment, he served at the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice as Acting Deputy Chief Registrar and Registrar of Appeals, Arbitration, and Enforcement, where he played a central role in the administration of justice at the regional level.
Prior to joining the Community Court, Mr. Sowe was Executive Director of the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA), a leading pan-African organization dedicated to advancing human rights through litigation, advocacy, and capacity building.
He holds a Master of Laws (LL.M) degree from the University of Essex and is licensed to practice law before courts in both The Gambia and Nigeria.
At the national level, Mr. Sowe served as a Commissioner of The Gambia’s Constitutional Review Commission, which was mandated to draft a new constitution for the country.
Regionally and continentally, he has been deeply involved in the African human rights system, including as an Expert Member of the Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights Working Group of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
A seasoned litigator, Mr. Sowe has appeared before several regional and continental bodies, including the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. His work has contributed to the development of jurisprudence across multiple African human rights mechanisms.
Widely regarded as a leading authority in common law, constitutional law, criminal law, and non-discrimination law, Mr. Sowe also possesses deep expertise in international human rights law. He has worked closely with judicial officers, law enforcement officials, lawyers, and human rights defenders across Africa and beyond.
In addition to his judicial and advocacy work, Mr. Sowe has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution and legal education, having lectured in International Human Rights Law, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, and the Gambian Legal System.
His appointment as Director of Legal Affairs places a highly experienced Gambian jurist at the heart of ECOWAS’s legal and institutional framework, at a time when the regional body faces complex legal and governance challenges.
The Gambia Journal extends warm congratulations to Mr. Sowe and wishes him success in his new role at the ECOWAS Commission.
