The COMMON LAW LAWYERS representatives from the North and South West regions met in Yaounde on Tuesday 15th November 2016 with some members of the Cameroun National Assembly. We are told the meeting was chaired by the Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Hon MONJOWA Lifaka Emilia sitting in for Cavaye Yegue Djibril. During the meeting, the following recommendations were agreed upon by both parties;

1. Parliamentarians shall strongly condemn the maltreatment of lawyers during the strike action in the north and southwest regions;
2. An independent parliamentary commission of enquiry should be set up to ascertain the circumstances of the attack on lawyers in the north west and south west regions;
3. The law n° 90/059 of 19th December 1990 organizing practice at the bar be amended to reflect the creation of a common law bar association and other provisions to that may necessitate amendments;
4. That all officials who directly or indirectly contributed towards the attack of lawyers in the north and southwest regions be sanctioned.
5. Request the immediate uplifting of the ban of Northwest lawyers association (NOWELA) and meme lawyers association (MELA) and the decision suspending the activities of the famous lawyers association (FAKLA);
6. Magistrate, Court Registrars and Bailiffs should be deployed nationwide according to their legal background;
7. Immediate return of lawyers wigs and gowns, and other personal effects that were seized from lawyers;
8. Compensate victims of the attack;
9. Call for an enlarged meeting with justice sector stakeholders;
10. Simultaneous publication of laws in both English and French;
11. Enactment of a labour code which punishes those who violate its application;
12. Creation of a law school;
13. Creation of a common law bench at the supreme Court;
14. Creation of a common law department in ENAM;
15. Include lawyers of both legal systems into the higher judicial council.

The Cameroon common law lawyers were represented by the four leaders of the constituent associations of the common law lawyers, and the members of the current Cameroon Bar Council of common law extraction. These groups have been regrouped into the newly created Cameroon common law bar association.

In spite of the assurances that the parliamentarians raised during the discussion, the Cameroon common law lawyers reiterated that the strike action shall continue. Consequently, they are shall be having a general assembly of the Cameroon Common law Bar Association in Kumba, within a forth night from today November 15th for the presentation of the outcome of the Yaounde meetings and other consequential businesses.

Baretanews hold the view that Anglophones should join the lawyers in a show of solidarity protest during their assembly in Kumba to remind them that this is now a people’s fight and solutions must reflect a people’s solution which is Federalism at least. It is only by this act that we can tell the government that the people mean business.

God is still saying something.