Issues
- Information Availability and Dissemination
- Capacity, its Use and Development
- Access to Judiciary Services
- Judiciary Personnel, Incentives and Performance
- Law, its Practice and Reform
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Information Availability and Dissemination
Much decision making, implementation and evaluation information is available in Cameroon and there are a variety of media organs making efforts to disseminate it. Nevertheless, the information is far from being comprehensive as well as culturally accessible and efforts to disseminate it often fall short of expectations.
Decisions are made, implemented and evaluated internationally, nationally, and locally. Information on international and national decisions is by and large obtainable in English and/or French, while that on local decisions is available in various (Cameroon has an estimated 230) languages including Pidgin, English and French. Some of the information is written or documented in various forms. Other (indeed a lot more) information, especially locally, is only available in oral formats and not yet documented professionally.
A growing number of media (over 100 local as well as foreign press, radio, television and Internet) organs including the Official Gazette of the Republic of Cameroon make information dissemination efforts in Cameroon. But the communication does not often reach the bulk of the population in time, and much of the media is well known for not giving enough attention to substantive issues in the public interest, and for not being clear-cut and balanced in reporting decisions and their relations, or lack thereof, to issues.
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Capacity, its Use and Development
Decision making, implementation and evaluation capacity is considerable and developing in Cameroon, but much of it is not adequately used in public policy processes. Even as efforts are made to broaden public service recruitment base and improve its training, great attention is only given to a few government run education institutions or professional schools, and little is done to engage with and cultivate the interests of the wider public in public policy processes including elections.
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It is no secret that many people avoid judiciary services in Cameroon! Available law appears ambiguous on access to judiciary services issues. For example, Law No. 2006/015 of 29 December 2006 on Judicial Organization has given rise to various rules of application (supplementary legislation) that make its difficult, if not impossible, for people to access judiciary services. These include the languages (mostly English and French) used, various fees paid including financial deposits of unspecified amounts, serving of processes, locus visits and bailiff fees, delays, room for bribery and corruption, etc.
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Judiciary Personnel, Incentives and Performance
Efforts have been going into increasing staff numbers and capacity in, as well as budgetary allocations to, judiciary services. Nevertheless, reactions of the judiciary are (on the whole) far from helping litigants reach reasonable settlements. In addition to difficulties in accessing judiciary services, "when matters are finally lodged with the judiciary, they tend to suffer repeated adjournments, magistrates and judges habitually descend into the arena of conflict, and decisions are often not based on relevant fact and law" (EITD Research Public Policy Briefings, October 2008).
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Unwarranted monopolies and immunities are salient features of law and its practice in Cameroon. For example, Section 30 of the OHADA Uniform Act on Simplified Recovery Procedure and Execution prohibits forceful execution of court orders against agencies with government interests (Ministries, councils, and several other utility services), in defiance of legal principles of equality of all before the law. The law on practice of the legal profession also grants the BAR Association and its members monopoly status which, in many instances, they continue to abuse with apparent impunity. Law in Cameroon is far from being for everybody, and active everywhere.