Cameroon Common Law Lawyers begin four days sit-down strike

Common Law lawyers from four different associations in Cameroon have begun a four days sit-down strike action beginning on Tuesday October 11, 2016.


In a letter addressed to the Presidency of the Republic signed by Barristers Nkongho Felix Agbor president of Fako Lawyers Association, FAKLA, Harmony Bobga-Mbuton President of North West lawyers Association, NOWELA, Awuta Philip Atubah President of Meme Lawyers Association and nkongho Sopseh Emilien President of Manyu Lawyers Association, the lawyers denounce negligence by the government on numerous complaints of the erosion of Common Law in Cameroon as manifested in the OHADA Legislation.


The letter partially reads that, “Whereas recently, some of our members attempt to exercise the constitutional right of freedom of expression through the medium of Press Conference and were stifled with administrative bans and police harassments.”
    
They also denounce governments silence over an earlier correspondence after the Common Law Lawyers conference in Bamenda. They complain that since two years not even an acknowledgement has been sent from the Presidency.


They called on President Paul Biya to create an Ad Hoc Commission to respond to the Bamenda Resolutions of 9th May, 2015 and the Buea Declaration of 13 February 2016 regarding the erosion of the Common Law in Cameroon.

The Common Law Lawyers have also demanded the Head of State to hold an emergency session of the Higher Judicial Council and re-deploy ALL CIVIL LAW MAGISTRATES from the two Common Law jurisdictions of North West and South West and in the same vein re-deploy ALL COMMON LAW MAGISTRATES from the Civil Law Jurisdiction to the two Common Law Jurisdictions of North West and South West regions.