Francis Tim Mbom
11 April 2008
Buea — Some of the candidates who succeeded in the recent Bar Exams have called on government and the Bar Council to ensure that the exams are launched yearly as it used to obtain.
The recent exams took government seven years to organise with 2300 candidates. At the end, 531 sailed through the finals qualifying as pupil advocates for two years before becoming full-fledged lawyers.
Several of them expressed the wish that the government should respect the law which holds that the exams be launched yearly.One of the successful candidates, Stephen Tita of Nguemako Law Firm in Limbe, told The Post that he had to wait for eight years before sitting for the exams.
"The powers that be have to do something so that our own laws are respected. To the best of my knowledge, the Bar Exams have to be launched every December, every year," Tita said.
According to Tita, the waiting was painful. "I wish that happened to me, does not happen to those who will come after me," he said.Martin Essingila, another successful candidate, said the waiting was just a mirror reflection of what is happening to other institutions in Cameroon.
Essingila, however, added that those empowered by the law to launch the exams, seemingly lack the will power.Abunaw Anatole, yet another successful candidate, prayed that this December should not go by without the Bar Exams.
"We pray that the Ministry of Justice or the Bar Council should not wait for so many years again before launching the Bar Exams. This December, they should launch another one," he said.
Law School Or Revise The law
Essingila, nevertheless, said if the government or the Bar Council finds it difficult to launch the exams yearly, the law could be revised or a law school could be set up. "The law, as at now, says yearly. If it is not feasible to organise it, let them revise it," he said. "They can also establish a law school," he added.
The Southwest representative of the Bar Council President, Barrister Innocent Bonu, was elated by the number of successful candidates from his area of jurisdiction.He told The Post by phone that Meme Division recorded 44 successful candidates while Fako Division had 60 or so.
As to when the candidates would be sworn in as pupil advocates, Bonu said the date was yet to be fixed. He nevertheless said it could be at the end of April or thereabouts.As to the urge that the exams be maintained yearly, Bonu said the launching of the exams was the preserve of the Ministry of Justice. He said the Bar Council's role was just to organise the exams and only when the government must have launched them.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Post. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
