Angry Lawyers want “All Anglophone Lawyers’ Conference”

BY ATIA TILARIOUS AZOHNWI

Cameroon Headlines, Buea, May 5 - Anglophone lawyers have underlined the “urgent need for an All Anglophone Lawyers’ Conference” in the wake of “attempts by government to wipe out very positive elements of the Common Law practice in Cameroon”.

Francis Sama Asanga: Cameroon Bar President

The lawyers were speaking in a crisis meeting, May 2, at the Buea High Court Hall. The meeting was chaired by the Barrister Francis Sama Asanga, President of the Cameroon Bar Association.

The lawyers had heated exchanges with the President of the Bar, after which a committee was set up to scrutinize the petition of the Fako Lawyers, submit it too the Bar President, for onward transmission to government.

Barrister Ajong Stanislaus, President of the Fako Lawyers’ Association, FAKLA, told Cameroon Headlines  that the meeting was initially convened for lawyers in Fako to address a petition to president Biya.

Ajong Stanislaus, President of FAKLA said they are vexed by the “harmonization of the civil law in Cameroon and the appointment of notaries which we of the common law system in Cameroon think is a guise by government to annihilate all the common law practices that exist in the North West and South West Regions.”

But Barrister Sama  said after the North West Lawyers had sent similar memos to the Presidency, the Prime Minister, the Minister of Justice and keeper of the Seals and other services, it will be useless for FAKLA to follow the same channel.

“The lawyers resolved that all matters concerning the downplaying of the common law component in our judicial system should be brought to light and channeled through the Bar President to government through the minister of justice, with the understanding that this will be tabled to parliament for the amendment of the laws,” Barrister Sama said.

“The lawyers’ equally resolved that in all issues concerning law reform, the common law and Anglo-Saxon component should be considered because they observe that it is being downplayed. There is an unwritten tendency to wipe out very positive elements of the English speaking and Anglo-Saxon component; not only of the law, but in several other walks of life. They were very specific on the supposed civil code, civil procedure code, and family code,” the Bar President said.

To the Bar President, what concerns all the other Anglophone lawyers concerns him. “I’m very confident that we shall address the issues amicably. Don’t forget that I’m equally an Anglophone advocate and notary,” he said.

Even as the Anglophone lawyers are struggling for Article 76 on the law guiding practice at the bar should be revised to give full powers for them to be advocates and notaries, some of them had already applied to be appointed notaries.

Like in the North West, Barrister Sama advised that such application should be withdrawn.

He’ll next m,eet with Meme lawyers, Monday, May 5.

All Anglophone Lawyers’ Conference

Anglophone lawyers during the troubleshooting meeting with the Bar President called for an All Anglophone Lawyers’ Conference.

“In the circumstances, the lawyers’ did make calls for an All Anglophone Lawyers’ Conference. I had to be responsible and honest enough to acknowledge that there is obviously an All Anglophone Lawyers’ problem, but the problem will be resolved by the Cameroon Bar Association,” Sama said.

“It will not be appropriate to call an all English speaking lawyers conference because problems that touch and affect English lawyers equally touch and affect French speaking lawyers,” he added.

Sama said they are out to cause government to continuously include the English speaking component in all legislation and in all aspects of life.

According to FAKLA’s Ajong, “there is an absolute need for an All Anglophone Lawyers’ Conference.”