Elizabeth Mosima
28 May 2008
Many holders of the law degree in Cameroon have to wait for long years before obtaining an authorisation to practice as trainee advocates.
The law profession is a noble one but becoming a full practising lawyer is not as simple as one may think. To attain the title of the advocates in training, one has to put in several years of hard work. Marie Louise P., a trained lawyer only succeeded in having an authorisation to practise as an barrister in training during the swearing ceremony at the high court in Yaounde last week after 15 long years of wait. The story is the same for many holders of the law degree in Cameroon. What raises eyebrows is the fact that in this noble profession, it is not the number of years of studies that stand as a major hindrance before reaching the summit, but the long duration of the period of probation. Advocates in training in Cameroon do not have any particular status but are protected by the internal rules and regulations of the Cameroon Bar Association. The situation of the advocates in training is found in articles 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 of the internal regulations of the Bar association.
According to article 16 of the internal regulations of the Bar Council, probation lawyers are those who have succeeded in an aptitude test for lawyers on probation and have sworn an oath proposed by the law. Article 17 stipulates that the young lawyers are registered on a list for training according to the date of swearing in. The probation lawyers are united in regional centres or special professional training centres and national training seminars. The presence of all advocates in training in these meetings is obligatory. Unjustified absences call for disciplinary sanctions or prolongation of the training period decided by the board of the Bar Council. The Conference for training programme is presided over by the President of the Bar Council. He or she can designate a member of the Bar Council to substitute him or her. The probation lawyer whose contract has been denounced can not practice any professional activity until a new contract has been established. If an advocate in training does not agree with his trainer, lawyer the President of the Bar Council can confer him to another trainer Father where he will work benevolently. The trainer then gives an account to the President of the Bar council on assiduity and aptitude of the trainee lawyer.
During the period of training, the remuneration of the advocate in training is debated between the trainer-lawyer and him. Meanwhile, the rate should not be less than the minimum rate given by the Bar Council. Sources close to Bar council say no specific rate exists. The trainee lawyer has the obligation to satisfy the obligations defined by the law. He is expected to respect and obey instructions from the lawyer in whose chambers he is training. The lawyer, on his part, must assure him the best professional training under the attention of the President of the Bar Council.
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