*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 20th of February 2015 with Batonier Barrister Kenmende Henry in
attendance, Senior Barrister Mrs Senze, Barrister B
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.
Batonier Barrister Kenmende Henry |
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 17th 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 1st
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
20th 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.