Reform justice and rethink the police

The issue of the appointment of magistrates, and that of traditional jurisdictions (which vary from one traditional chiefdom to another, and sometimes in defiance of the law) are all problems that deserve to be resolved when implementing a new form of organization of Cameroonian society that everyone calls for.

The independence of the judiciary will be one of the cornerstones of this reform to guarantee the proper functioning of the institutions. This is far from being the case today with magistrates subject to the Executive, the President of the Republic, head of the Executive power, being also the president of the Superior Council of the Judiciary, a body which “does and undoes” the careers of magistrates, whose rapporteur is the Minister of Justice Keeper of the Seals, himself from the Executive power.

Law State and justice

Any effective justice that meets the expectations of litigants and respects the people in whose name it is rendered is based on the rule of law.

  • The restoration of the law state and the inclusion of freedom of expression, the protection of journalists and their sources of information as well as the freedom of association in a charter of democracy.
  • The guarantee that the law is fair, widely disseminated and applied without any discrimination to all, State and citizens whoever they may be.
    Reinforcement of legal and judicial security. In particular, commissions for the evaluation of magistrates will be set up in the courts of first instance and courts of appeal, made up of magistrates and personalities from civil society.
  • The reform of the Audit Bench of the Supreme Court, in particular to give it the power to sanction authorizing officers and accountants.
  • The creation of a perfectly bilingual law school (Cameroon Law School/Institute of Judicial Studies) for the training of legal assistants (Lawyers, Notaries, Bailiffs). It will be managed in consultation with the professional orders, which will be full-fledged educational facilitators. More than one may be created in different parts of the country.
  • The guarantee to any Cameroonian citizen, any national or foreign investor that the same law will be applied to all.
  • The preference and encouragement of dialogue as a tool for consultation between the various social partners, in particular between employers and trade unions.

A redesigned police force, enhanced skills

The defense forces as well as the judicial and scientific police must face new forms of threats, which requires a redefinition of their missions and a consequent allocation of financial, material and human resources for the accomplishment of these missions.

We will reform the police starting with its programmatic doctrine, its philosophy of maintaining public order which today merges with the maintenance of political order inherited from the colonial administration. An intelligent and modular network of society and territory will be set up.

We will strengthen the skills and equipment of our security forces in terms of judicial police, scientific police and economic investigations.