After Notary Saga, Uproar again in the Cameroon Judiciary; N.West Lawyers at War with Newly Appointed Officials in the Bamenda High COURT (Attorney General & Pees)

*Frowns Greatly at French Assimilation Practice Gradually Instituted in the High Court of Bamenda

*Stands Firmly against Anglophone Marginalization & Rights Abuses within the Judiciary

The North West Lawyers Association (NOWELA) showed and expressed their grievances in a meeting that played host within the premises of the High Court Bamenda on the 20^th of February 2015 with Batonier Barrister Kenmende Henry in attendance, Senior Barrister Mrs Senze, Barrister B

Batonier Barrister Kenmende Henry

en Suh Fuh, Barrister Amazee, Maitre Mbah Mbah, the Association’s President Barrister Robert Nso Fon and others 200 in number. Saying that if they condor to what is going on in the High Court and at the level of the Attorney Generals Office in Bamenda all made up of Francophone, English law will have no common place and right of placement. 

This expressed mood of anger that saw host of a meeting with North West Lawyers to decry certain unruly practices within the corps was provoked by, a catalogue of uncultured and discriminatory behavior of officials appointed from the Judiciary to man the affairs of the sector who tamper with every rights of Lawyers from court room comportment to presentations in court and issuance of Judicial documents.

In primo, on the 17^th day of February 2015, an Advocate General from the PG’s office, while court was in session, entered the court room through the door used by Judges and in a provocative manner greeted the Judge in session with all arrogance what was termed by all as lack of respect for the court,

Secondly, a Lawyer was served with a submission from the PG’s chamber written in French which he refused receiving until translated in English, seeing the act as a calculated attempt to impose French in a system that is purely supposed to be English.

And thirdly, an Advocate General at the PG’s chamber addressed the court in French with no attempt to express himself in English for the understanding of all, this action of his caused uproar and made the court room rowdy provoking all Lawyers present to address the court with great dissatisfaction. The Judge aggravated the situation by saying that Cameroon is a Bilingual country and that they are comfortable using French. This caused Lawyers to be angry and thought that by being Cameroon, the Common Law System is gradually been eroded and the actions are tactical to completely wipe out the English culture. Causing Lawyers to ponder aloud again whether there is any legal justification for the Union between La Republic which had independence on the 1^st of January 1960 and was admitted as a member state of the UN. In desperation they wandered further whether Cameroon Spelled with OUN at the end can be translated (because in translations names don’t change?), that all times Cameroonians have been made to believe that Cameroon spelled with OON is the English version of Cameroon with OUN which is false.   

 This in effect was the immediate cause of the 20^th meeting to call the powers that be at the level of the Attorney General’s Chamber to order.

At that meeting, it was resolved after hours of deliberations, that: there is need for a language code in Cameroon to know exactly when English or French should be spoken and where in a Bilingual Cameroon.

Secondly, to annually, beginning this 2015 come out with a human rights report of the Region especially on violations perpetrated within the Justice system.

That the language of communication in all the courts of the North West Region especially in the court of appeal should be in English because it is a constitutional right as well as a minority right and Cameroon is considered Cameroon because of her colonial past.

That the above resolutions plus other issues in the petition will be addressed to the President of the court of Appeal in the North West Region and hierarchy in Yaounde.