Reinstate the federal system - Anglophone Lawyers demand

Common Law Lawyers have issued a memo to government requesting that a federal system be reinstated in Cameroon whereby both the Common and Civil Law can function independently.

The memo which has been described by impressionists as the beginning of the Anglophone revival in Cameroon, they say is creating panic in Yaounde.

To key speakers like Barrister Bobga, Barrister Eta Bissong Jr and others, it is time for the cacophony to stop given that “with the Federal system, the two will function independently”.

In a strongly worded memo, the lawyers gave government six months to look into their problems or else, they (the lawyers) will take drastic measures or maybe behave the way Scottish lawyers did.

The measures we gathered include tabling the matters to the international courts and maybe go to the street to express their anger. The lawyers also called on the powers that be, to respect the bicultural nature of Cameroon as well as interrupt all attempts to assimilate Anglophones of the former Southern Cameroon.

The request giving government six months is the outcome of the ‘All Anglophone Lawyers’ conference’ that held at the St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Mankon, Bamenda on May 9, 2015.

The Bamenda conference also urged lawyers to enter into politics so as the effect the much needed change. “Lawyers should enter into politics to rule the country and not allowed to be ruled by illiterates and truck pushers”, they vomited.

They also argued that if lawyers enter Parliament, they would be able to right many wrongs in the country. On his part Barrister Eta Bessong Jr called on all the Common Law lawyers to join their voices in order to tell the powers that be to stop the onslaught.

The lawyers also decried the attempts to assimilate the Anglo Saxon sub section of educational adding that “it is time for records to be set straight for a peaceful coexistence of all Cameroonians.”

The lawyers also observed that it is a misfortune that the train of harmonization and the much talk about policy of Cameroon being a bilingual country has been null.

According to Barrister Kemende Henry, North West Representative of the Cameroon Bar Association, recent happenings at the level of the North West Court of Appeal and the South West Court of Appeal jurisdictions and the convening of the Bamenda Conference are indicative.

Accordingly, Barrister Kemende said that this state of nature has made the Cameroonians Common Law lawyer to be seen as defending what is unknown to them, and what no longer applies in England where it originated.