Cameroun’s justice system is facing a serious institutional crisis marked by administrative paralysis at the highest level of the judiciary. For several years, the courts’ normal functioning has been slowed, raising concerns about legal certainty, judicial efficiency, and public trust in the rule of law.
At the centre of the problem is the prolonged inactivity of the Higher Judicial Council. Since 10 August 2020, the Council has held no sessions. This absence has blocked key decisions on judicial careers, including appointments, promotions, transfers, and retirements. Without these decisions, the management of the justice system has remained frozen.
One of the most visible consequences of this paralysis is the continued service of nearly 200 magistrates who have already reached the legal retirement age. These magistrates continue to perform their duties, sign judicial acts, and deliver rulings in the name of the Cameroonian people, even though their legal mandate should have ended. This situation is not the result of personal choice but of an administrative vacuum, as retirement or extension decrees cannot be issued without a session of the Higher Judicial Council.
This prolonged situation raises serious questions about legal security and the validity of court decisions issued by magistrates whose formal link with the state should have expired. It also places the affected magistrates in an uncomfortable position, forcing them to remain in office without clear legal backing.
At the same time, a new generation of judicial professionals remains locked out of the system. About 400 trainee magistrates trained at the National School of Administration and Magistracy have been waiting since 2020 for their official integration. Without appointments, they are unable to work, receive no salary, and remain idle despite the acute shortage of personnel in courts across the country.
This contradiction highlights a significant waste of human resources. While courts are overwhelmed and understaffed, qualified young magistrates remain on the sidelines, unable to contribute to the administration of justice.
The root of the crisis lies at the highest institutional level. The Higher Judicial Council is chaired by the President of the Republic, Paul Biya, with the Minister of Justice serving as vice-chair. Its prolonged silence has effectively immobilised the entire judicial system, with no alternative mechanism in place to resolve the deadlock.
The consequences for Cameroon’s justice system are heavy. Judicial staff morale has declined, court backlogs have increased, and jurisdictions remain disorganised. Above all, the credibility and public image of the justice system continue to erode, weakening confidence in the rule of law.
For many observers, the urgent convening of the Higher Judicial Council has become unavoidable. Releasing positions occupied by retirement-age magistrates and integrating new judicial officers is no longer a mere administrative formality. It is a critical condition for restoring efficiency, credibility, and stability to Cameroon’s justice system.
Without a functioning, credible justice system, the foundations of the nation itself are at risk. Justice remains a pillar of national survival, and without it, no society can truly prosper.
By Lucas Muma
