BY NDIMUH B. SHANCHO
The President of the Cameroon Bar Association, Barrister TchakoutePatie, has maintained that the Bar Council resolution of August 31, 2019 announcing a five-day sit-in-strike strike from September 16 to 20, 2019 stands, despite frantic efforts by the Government to precipitate suspension.
In a Communique addressed to members of the Bar Council, Sunday September 15, 2019, the Batonnier said the extraordinary bar council meeting summoned September 15, 2019, “ could not come out with any resolution for want for quorum; In consonance with article 11 [2] of our internal regulation there were no regulations”. He appreciated the Government for “the efforts put in so far towards examining our preoccupations and will continue with the dialogue already put in place”.
It should be recalled that the Cameroon Bar Council had last August 31, 2019 sent out a release announcing a-five-day sit-in-strike in protest for consistently being denied access to their clients and persons in their various detention centres. They also divulged that the right of accused persons protected by national and international instruments, which Cameroon has ratified are constantly and consistently being violated by judicial authorities. Other grievances included the fact that trials are done in a language not understood by litigants, accused persons in violation of their dignity are brought naked before the trial; extraction of confessional statements from accused persons through the use of torture and inducement; illegal prolonged detention of accused persons, the transformation of judicial detention into administrative detention and the frequent refusal by state prosecutors to release persons when they are either granted bail or have been discharged by a court of law.
The lawyersalso cried foul over the recurrent refusal to acknowledge service of applications made by lawyers to judicial authorities and refusal to respond to some applications from lawyers, the exorbitant cost of locus fees and other court charges including the retention and refusal to assign case files by certain heads of courts is uncalled for.
Going by the resolutions taken by the Cameroon Bar Council, they expressed frustration and condemn in strongest terms that in spite of their previous complaints made to the authorities that be, lawyers are continuously being threatened, arrested and detained in the course of the exercise of their functions and the recurrent barbaric violence meted out on lawyers by members of forces of law and order, the situation is yet to be settled.
In a bid to induce the suspension of the announced sit-in-strike, the Minister Delegate to the Ministry of Justice, Jean De DieuMomo, on behalf of the Minister of State for Justice and Keeper of Seals, Laurent Esso, held a consultative talks with Bar Council members, September 4, 2019. At the end of the lawyers insisted that only concrete actions and promises can cause them to call off the strike.
The Bar Council said after the sit-in-strike to end by September 20, they shall evaluate the situation and take any further steps as it shall deem necessary.