Anglophone Lawyers’ confab organizers interrogated

Lawyers of the Common Law of Cameroon authorities are beginning to appear jittery and suspicious ahead of the All Anglophone Lawyers Conference holding on Saturday May 9 in Bamenda.

The president of the North West Lawyers Association, NOWELA, Barrister Robert Nsoh Fon, told The Journal in a telephone call yesterday that elements of the Mixed Mobile Brigade, BMM rang his phone few days ago and interrogated him on the agenda of the conference.

Asked what exactly the security operatives wanted to know from him, Fon said they were interested in knowing what would be discussed and the raison d’être of the meeting. Fon said he told them the meeting was merely convened to discuss the future of common law in Cameroon and its impact since its advent.

Fon also hinted that a delegation of officials from the Ministry of Justice led by the Secretary General, George Gwanmesia had on May 6, paid a visit to Bamenda but their mission is yet unknown.

“Although we have not officially been informed of the motive of their mission to Bamenda, we believe that they were here for the meeting.” Fon quipped. He said he was not privy to meetings held by the delegation from Yaounde, however, he said the delegation had an audience with North West representative of the Cameroon Bar council, Barrister Kemende Henry.

Contacted to comment on the mission of the Yaounde delegation to Bamenda, Kemende admitted to have had audience with them, but would not subscribe to the view that the delegation was in Bamenda for or because of the Common Law Lawyers’ conference.

Hear him: “I do not think they came to Bamenda for the conference. They merely came for their normal routine control. At the moment we are talking they should be back to Yaounde if their program has not been altered.”

Both Fon and Kemende, however, distanced themselves from the drummed-up allegations that the lawyers are going to create a distinct Bar Association identifiable only with Anglophone lawyers.

Asked what then could be the main motive of the come together, Kemende said the Anglophone lawyers would be reflecting on the harmonization of the judicial system in Cameroon and its impact. He said they would also reflect on the future of common law in Cameroon with respect to the bi-jural system of the country.

He vouched that apart from evaluating the impact of common law in the harmonization of the two systems, they will be taking stock of what has been happening in harmonization, and then come out with recommendations that could help in the smooth flow of the two systems.

Questioned if the persistent threat on the existence of the common law system in Cameroon would not future on the agenda of the conference, Fon said it would be indispensable. “Of course, we must put it too on the table. The common law system has suffered several threats in Cameroon, perpetrated by the Francophone authorities and we must deliberate on that,” he said.

The conference, Kemende said, is being organized under the canopy of the Cameroon Bar Council. This is a complete deviation from earlier allegations that the conference was being organized by the North West Lawyers’ Association, NOWELA. At least 1,000 common law lawyers are registered with the Cameroon Bar Association.