ABUJA, Nigeria — Liberian lawyer, law professor and former vice-presidential candidate, Cllr. Charlyne M. Brumskine, has been sworn in as a judge of the Community Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), giving Liberia a seat on the regional bench for the Court’s 2026-2030 term.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh
Brumskine was one of five judges inducted on Tuesday, October 6, at the ECOWAS Commission headquarters in Abuja. Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye, Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, administered the oath of office.
Four other judges join her
The other newly inducted judges are Désiré Henri Aihou of Benin, Awa Bah of The Gambia, Henrietta Uzoamaka Didigu of Nigeria and Yaouza Ouro-Sama of Togo.
They succeed judges whose four-year mandates have ended: Ricardo Cláudio Monteiro Gonçalves of Cape Verde, Sengu Mohamed Koroma of Sierra Leone, Dupe Atoki of Nigeria, Gberi-Bè Ouattara of Côte d’Ivoire and Edward Amoako Asante of Ghana.
The new judges are expected to choose a president and vice-president from among themselves. Each will serve a two-year leadership term.
Chairman’s charge: impartiality and credibility
In his charge to the judges, President Faye urged them to uphold impartiality, independence and credibility as they take on the responsibility of administering justice in the West African bloc.
He said the judges must work to strengthen public confidence in the Court at a time when the region continues to face significant political, economic, security and environmental challenges.
About the Court
The ECOWAS Community Court of Justice, headquartered in Abuja, is the judicial organ of the regional bloc. It is mandated to hear disputes over the interpretation and application of ECOWAS legal instruments and to provide judicial protection within the regional community.
Who is Charlyne Brumskine?
Brumskine was appointed to the Court in July 2026 for the 2026-2030 term. Her induction marks a shift from national legal practice and politics to regional judicial service.
Educational background
She is a graduate of Columbia University and the Howard University School of Law in Washington, D.C. That training laid the groundwork for a career built on constitutional law, gender rights and governance reform.
Career in law
Brumskine is the founder and managing attorney of CMB Law Group, LLC, a law firm based in Monrovia. She has practiced as an attorney and advocate on constitutional questions, the rights of women and girls, and reforms aimed at strengthening governance in Liberia.
She has also worked in legal education, teaching law at the University of Liberia’s Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, the country’s leading institution for legal training.
In 2022, she finished first in Liberia’s Supreme Court Bar Examination, a feat that made her one of the country’s most notable young legal professionals.
Through her legal and philanthropic work, she has promoted education for girls, expanded access to justice and encouraged political participation among women and youth in Liberia.
Political background
Brumskine’s political profile rose in the 2023 Liberian general election, when she served as vice-presidential candidate of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), running alongside standard bearer Alexander B. Cummings.
Her political roots run through her family. She is the daughter of Charles Brumskine, founder of the Liberty Party and a former President pro tempore of the Liberian Senate. She later became involved in Liberty Party affairs, particularly during the party’s internal leadership dispute.
A new chapter
Her appointment places a Liberian jurist on a court that plays a central role in protecting rights and interpreting the legal framework of the West African community. It comes as Liberia continues to engage more closely with regional institutions on governance, human rights, rule of law and justice.
For Brumskine, the new assignment moves her from national legal practice and politics to a broader regional judicial role, alongside judges responsible for advancing the rule of law across West Africa.
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