Practice Monopoly, Emoluments Preoccupy Lawyers

The 2013 Ordinary General Assembly of the Bar held on Saturday, December 14, 2013 in Yaounde.

Members of the Cameroon Bar Association (CBA) have resolved to ask government for a monopoly of practice to defend law subjects in all sectors and courts other than before the Supreme Court and criminal matters.

Meeting in Yaounde on Saturday December 14, 2013 for CBA's annual general assembly, the lawyers also tackled issues concerning emoluments, training and discipline, amongst others, to evaluate achievements and usher in corrective or innovative measures.

Practice Monopoly

In his keynote speech, the President of the Bureau of CBA's General Assembly, Barrister Emmanuel Tang, echoed the views of lawyers that they must have monopoly of practice because in other legal professions, monopoly of practice is enjoyed. That, he said, was the major cause for the poverty affecting a majority of the 2,000 lawyers in Cameroon.

Emoluments

A major feature of Saturday's general assembly was the lawyers' protest at the Ministry of Finance's decision to tax their emoluments at 25 per cent. They considered emoluments as remuneration by the State for legal assistance provided by lawyers to impecunious accused. Thus, the lawyers were not satisfied and felt it affects an important portion of their revenue, hence the call for a review. To this effect, the President of the Cameroon Bar Association, "Batonnier" Sama Francis Asanga, said a commission set up by the Bar prepared a draft law which will be submitted to the Ministry of Justice.

Discipline

In his report, Sama Francis Asanga announced that in the days ahead, at least four members of the Bar will be dismissed and many others suspended for acts that violate the law and ethics of the corps. They were tried by the Bar's disciplinary council which recently examined over 300 complaints.

Training

It was also announced that Bar exams will be organised in 2014 in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice. Furthermore, plans are nearing fruition for the opening of an Anglo-Saxon-styled Law School in the University of Buea and a French-inspired Professional Training Centre in Yaounde. The latter will be created in partnership with the Bar Association of the city of Bordeaux in France which shares a twinning agreement with CBA. Furthermore, refresher training for lawyers under the European Union's Project for Access to Justice (PAJ) in Cameroon and abroad, will continue.

The Bar's 2013 achievements included the acquisition of a new decent office for Bar headquarters, semi-biometric membership cards for CBA members, partnerships with UNAIDS and the protection of fellow lawyers.