Open Access · Peer Reviewed · Founded 2021
About the Journal of Community & International Law
JCIL is the flagship academic publication of the Centre for Community & Oceanic Law (CFComLaw), providing a dedicated platform for rigorous scholarship on ECOWAS law, international law, and the governance of West Africa's ocean space.
Purpose & Mission
Aims & Scope
The Journal of Community and International Law (JCIL) is a peer-reviewed academic publication created by the Centre for Community & Oceanic Law (CFComLaw) as a primary instrument for fulfilling its mandate of advancing legal knowledge in West Africa.
JCIL creates the platform for robust academic discussion of matters relating to ECOWAS — examining how well member states fulfil their obligations under the Revised Treaty, how regional institutions interact with national legal systems, and how international law applies in the West African context.
The Journal provides space for matters relating to the African Union and general international law, with a distinctive focus on the law of the sea, oceanic governance, and the blue economy interests of ECOWAS's coastal and landlocked member states.
Our Commitment
Open Access Policy
All articles published in JCIL are freely available to researchers, practitioners, students, and citizens — at no cost to either readers or authors. We believe that legal knowledge on ECOWAS law and oceanic governance should be accessible to all who need it, without financial or institutional barriers.
ISA Observer Status
CFComLaw — JCIL's parent organisation — holds Observer Status at the International Seabed Authority (ISA) under UNCLOS, granted October 2024. JCIL is a key publication platform for research advancing West Africa's interests in global ocean governance.
Publication Record