College & Education: Re: [camnetwork] Re: Fw: [AFOaKOM] Fwd: [BIROCOL] English Language banned in NW Courts - Lawyers to make submissions in French only

Truth is the platinum standard by which journalists are judged. When a reporter says that there is a ban on English language in a NW court and there is in fact a ban on English language in the said regional court, then the reporter has told the truth; otherwise, the report is false.

The report from the Cameroon Daily Journal regarding the purported ban placed on English in the Bamenda-based court is a lie and self promoting message from that paper and its owner. The advent of electronic journalism has not only improved the speed at which news is reported, but journalism itself suffers as a result of this important channel of communication.

Someone can just sit in his house in Buea and decide to create some sensationalism to increase traffic to his online news site. This misinformation and disinformation is a threat to journalism as a profession. This sale of commercialized lies and dramatic sensationalism of falsehood for personal gain should be condemned with the contempt that it deserves.

Cameroonians should watch out for this kind of yellow journalism, which is nothing but a sensationalistic and marketable fiction. While it is not bad for a journalist to distinguish himself and uplift the profile of his news channel, to do so at the expense of the truth confuses the reader and breaks all media ethics.

Augustine Agbor Enow

On Saturday, February 28, 2015 8:04 AM, "Mishe Fon mishefon@yahoo.com [camnetwork]" <camnetwork@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

I am sorry, but I don't buy this Cameroon Journal story entirely. I don't like to fall thoky to a headline of this magnitude without asking a few questions. There are two Anglophone provinces in Cameroon, right? These Francophones decided to ban English only in Pam'nda Courts, right? WHY? I know that we, Abakwa peepoo trong head too much when it comes to chook faya BUT what will cause the Biya Regime which is struggling with a War against Terrorists in the North, to want to engage another brutal War with Anglophones...and why Bamenda and not Buea or Limbe?

I honestly smell sensationalism, "Intox and smol story fixing" in this "English banned in NW Courts" story. I honestly think Biya is too smart a Politician to venture into this kind of a wild goose chase. He must have enough Intel to warn him that Bamenda is a volcano waiting to happen with or without provocation.

Conclusion: Dat CJ tolly no tanap straight 4 my ears and eyes. Na langua 4 sell Nuss paper. PERIOD.

Mishe Fon

From: "Francis Njung njungf@yahoo.com [cameroon_politics]" <cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com>
To: "cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com" <cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, February 28, 2015 4:15 AM
Subject: Re: [cameroon_politics] Fw: [AFOaKOM] Fwd: [BIROCOL] English Language banned in NW Courts - Lawyers to make submissions in French only

What is Bilingualism for???

From: "Salomon SAMEN ssamen@hotmail.com [cameroon_politics]" <cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com>
To: "cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com" <cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 10:17 PM
Subject: Re: [cameroon_politics] Fw: [AFOaKOM] Fwd: [BIROCOL] English Language banned in NW Courts - Lawyers to make submissions in French only

If what is reported by Sylvanius Ezieh is true, forcing English speaking Cameroonians to make their court submissions in French language only, this is totally unacceptable, and we do have a very very serious problem in our beloved country. Very serious problem indeed.

Sent from my iPad

Sincerely always yours

Salomon SAMEN, Ph.D

On Feb 27, 2015, at 3:49 PM, Francis Njung njungf@yahoo.com [cameroon_politics] <cameroon_politics@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: "Ndi Bernard timti1276@yahoo.com [AFOaKOM]" <AFOaKOM@yahoogroups.com>
To: AFOaKOM@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, February 27, 2015 7:51 PM
Subject: [AFOaKOM] Fwd: [BIROCOL] English Language banned in NW Courts - Lawyers to make submissions in French only

And they say we are equal citizens? Don't think we need further proof

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: "'Akoh, Asa'na' revasana@hotmail.com [BIROCOL]" <BIROCOL@yahoogroups.com>
Date: February 27, 2015 at 17:03:16 GMT+1
Subject: [BIROCOL] English Language banned in NW Courts - Lawyers to make submissions in French only [1 Attachment]
Reply-To: BIROCOL@yahoogroups.com

By Sylvanus Ezieh, February 27, 2015
Cameroon Journal, Yaoundé – The Common Law practice in Cameroon has again suffered a major setback. After Common Law Lawyers protested an attempt by the Biya's regime to impose notaries on the English Legal System last year, Anglophone Lawyers in the North West Region are now being compelled to make their court submissions only in the French language.
North West Lawyers Association, NOWELA has in a strongly-worded statement condemned the provision, describing it as an attempt to assimilate the common law system in Cameroon. A memorandum addressed to the President of the North West Court of Appeal by its President asserts vehemently, that the language of communication in North West courts is English. The letter bears resolutions of a meeting of NOWELA members on February 20, in which they pointed out that the move to oblige North West lawyers make their submissions in the French language only is not only a violation of the constitution of Cameroon, but also an infringement on minority rights.
Robert Nso Fon, NOWELA President, told The Cameroon Journal in a telephone interview that the move appears to be just another deliberate attempt to completely destroy the Anglophone legal system in Cameroon. Hear him: "It is clear that they simply want to completely eliminate the common law system in Cameroon."
Nso, who spoke with a lot of regrets argued that the move was in absolute contrast to what obtains when they (Anglophone lawyers) find themselves in courts in the francophone zone. There, he said; "We are obliged to make our submissions in French, so why would they oblige us to make our submissions in French again in our own courts?" Nso questioned.
Quizzed if speaking French could obstruct any court proceedings, he said that in legal issues every single word must be understood properly by both parties. "We the lawyers could understand and even speak the broken French, but what about our clients who understand no single word in French?"
He said attempts to even convince presiding judges that interpreters could be hired so as to ease the burden for parties have flopped given that the latter are obliging the parties to pay for the charges. He suggested that it was the duty of the court to bear the financial burden in cases where the services of an interpreter are hired.
Also speaking on the issue which has become topical on the lips of all North Westerners and Anglophones in general, one Barrister Buh disclosed that only Francophones have been appointed at the Legal Department of the North West Court of Appeal.
"It is regrettable that only Francophones have been appointed at the legal department of the North West Court of Appeal, from Attorney General through the Advocate General to all the substitutes. All documents coming from this service are in French," he lamented.
On the sidelines of the French language issue, NOWELA in one of its resolutions has also picked issues with judges of the region over what they consider as extortion in court matters.
They claim in the resolution that the judges have been obliging parties to foot their bills during visits to the field (locus fees). "This is simply extortion of the parties involved. These charges have to be levied on the state treasury. They could sign the money as mission order, not extorting it from parties," he lashed out.
The North West lawyers warned in their resolutions that the move being implemented by gov't could easily result to disintegration. "While counting on your well known disposition to respect the laws of the state, the lawyers did not hesitate to conclude that the cracks imposed by their francophone brothers on the foundation of our unity can seriously widen to the extent that any further cracks can result to disintegration," the memorandum partly reads.

http://www.cameroonjournal.com/exclusive-english-language-banned-in-nw-courts-lawyers-to-make-submissions-in-french-only/

Michael Fondungallah, Esq.

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