On the sidelines of the regulatory reception offered by the Cameroon Bar to the Minister of State, Minister of justice, keeper of the seals, Laurent Esso, the president of the bar association, Br. Mbah Eric Mbah presented the difficulties that undermine the practice of the profession of lawyer in Cameroon on February 23, 2024 in Yaoundé.
While the last meeting between legal professionals and the ministerial supervision dates back 15 years, the non-exhaustive list of difficulties encountered by the body of lawyers and related professions has been submitted.
At the regulatory level, we note the law n ° 059/90 of December 19, 1990, which 34 years later has become obsolete, outdated and unsuitable for current challenges; consequently, it no longer allows either the organs of the order or the lawyers to effectively and optimally fulfill their functions. Other difficulties encountered, Mbah Eric Mbah mentioned the issue of brain drain. Indeed, due to the lack of organizing the annual entrance exam to the lawyer’s internship as provided for by law, many candidates wishing to practice the profession of lawyer integrate law schools, which sufficiently demonstrates that the current conditions of membership in the Cameroon Bar no longer meet the requirements related to the quality of training of candidates for the profession.
Between the permanent invasion by usurpers of the title of lawyer in the courts and tribunals, endemic corruption in the judicial environment, repeated attacks on the physical integrity of lawyers, not to mention the multiple slowness observed in the implementation of court decisions; it is a plethora of difficulties that have been mentioned, « even if the efforts already undertaken by the public authorities are recognised » commented the president of the bar association of Cameroon. Among these efforts, we could mention the construction and renovation of several courts; the modification of the decree on the status and organization of the profession of judicial officers and enforcement agents; the organization of the competition of notaries … etc.
If Laurent Esso, the Minister of Justice, Keeper of the seals wished to congratulate Me Mbah Eric Mbah for the innovations brought since he took office as president; he also recognized that much remains to be done, moreover after the receipt of the memo issued by the Bar, the minister assured that these grievances will be brought to high places, because « it is by moving forward in a concerted way … That we will all contribute to the proper functioning of the judiciary, justice being served not for us … But in the name of the people … ».
Overall, the signals are now green between the Ministry of Justice and the Cameroon Bar, and this consultation which focused on, « The role of the lawyer in the functioning and administration of justice in Cameroon” will certainly mark the advent of a true justice of equity and humanly acceptable.
