The Cameroon Bar President has issued a Press Release stating that Common Law Lawyers will resume work on May 2nd as negotiations continue with the government. BaretaNews is adding that one of the central demands of the Common Law Lawyers was a return to two state Federation or outright Independence. The cosmetic solutions presented by Minister Lawrent Esso cannot be sustainable in this present union. Should common law lawyers decide to heed to the calls of the Bar President without the release of ALL in jail NOT ONLY THEIR COLLEAGUES, without dialogue on a possible platform to restoration, let the lawyers know that they are on their own. Lives have been lost, our people maimed and we demand nothing short of restoration. BaretaNews understands the Bar President had meetings with common law lawyers from both zones in Southern Cameroons before coming with these resolutions. Be it as it may, Southern Cameroonians shall declare any lawyer as persona non grata and if possible the guerilla and UPC tactics shall be employed to make sure the dreams of restoration is achieved. The people’s platform has spoken. Attached is the complete Press Release

PRESS RELEASE OF THE BAR ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT

Following the extraordinary Bar Council meetings held respectively in Buea and Bamenda on the Saturdays 18th and 25th March 2017, which meetings were immediately followed by working sessions between lawyers of the two Anglophone regions and the Bar Council,

It was recommended that a unique framework comprising of very senior advocates from the North West and South West regions be set up to reflect on the way forward.

By The Bar President Decision No N° 038/BOABC/ADM/03/17 of 31st of March 2017, a conclave of senior advocates of the North West and South West regions to which some junior colleagues were integrated to elaborate the modalities of the way forward, was set up with the missions of making proposals on the way forward.

The conclave met in Bamenda on the 1st of April 2017 and in Buea on the 8th of April 2017.

Mindful of Government’s response to the demands of the Anglophone lawyers as announced by the Minister of State in charge of Justice ,during his press conference of the 30th of March 2017 , and the creation by the Minister of Public Services of an adhoc committee in charge of organizing the special recruitment of Common Law magistrates and judicial officers,
The conclave unanimously came up with the following recommendations:

1- That the President of the Bar Association is hereby authorized to enter into dialogue with the Government on matters bearing on the Common Law Lawyers.

2- That Advocates of the South West and North West regions shall resume work on the 2nd may 2017, for the resolutions of the ad hoc committee submitted to the Prime Minister and approved by the Head of States to be fully implemented

3- That this conclave shall be convened on the 30th July 2017 to evaluate progress made on the implementation of these resolutions.
On behalf of the Bar Council, the Batonnier sincerely thanks his colleagues of these two regions for this renewed confidence bestowed on the ruling organs of the Bar Association.

He especially thanks the members of the conclave who made enormous sacrifices and walked the extra mile to ensure the normalization of our activities.

He is mindful of all their recommendations, and announces that the lawyers in the North West and South West regions will resume work on the 2nd of May 2017.

He pledges to continue negotiations with the Government in order to satisfy the demands of the common law lawyers as well as the release of our two colleagues currently under detention in Yaoundé.

In the days ahead, the Batonnier, with a delegation of Bar Council members will travel to Buea and Bamenda to meet the heads of these jurisdictions in order to discuss and define concrete modalities for the resumption of work.

The Batonnier stresses that the return to normal is the fruit of dialogue between the Government and the Bar Association, dialogue which should be perpetuated and reinforced in a determined and responsible manner

Done in Douala this 9th April 2017

The Bar President

Jackson NGNIE KAMGA esq