At swearing in ceremony: Bar president urges Kumba pupil lawyers to shun shady deals.

Barrister Mbah Eric made the call Friday, September 27, at the Meme High Court, in Kumba. This was during the swearing in of the 40 advocates-in-training.

The Senior Divisional Officer, SDO, for Meme, Ntou'ou Ndong Chamberlin, and his entourage witnessed the event.

Addressing the advocates-in-training, Barrister Mbah cautioned them to exercise patience while serving the population. He noted that the number 40 has biblical significance which could be likened to the 40 that crossed the Red Sea.            

He stated that the law profession is not like any other profession. This, he said, explained the success of just 40 from Meme out of 5,300 candidates who sat for the examinations. 

He reminded them of the duty they owe to the profession to undergo a two-year service under a principal before becoming full lawyers.

Barrister Mbah said the Bar will not not be tolerant to any pupil advocate that arrogates the function of a legal luminary. 

“You are not advocates; you are pupil advocates. You must be under the watchful eyes of a principal in training," he quipped. 

Engaging in shady deals, he said will be tantamount to tarnishing the image of the profession. He also cautioned them against transforming the social media into an Appeal Court by flooding court proceedings in it.

The Bar Council President also urged relatives not to bombard the pupil advocates with financial demands. He said relatives should rather support the pupil lawyers to complete their training.

He stated that the duty of a lawyer is not to win cases in court, but rather to assist the judiciary get facts straight while upholding the tenets of the profession in line with social justice and equity.

The State Counsel for Meme, Justice Mbuagbaw Peter Esongbi, on his part called on the pupil advocates to have a sense of discipline. Justice Mbuagbaw also urged them to adhere to the rules of the Cameroon Bar.

The President of the Meme High Court, Justice Eni Mokube, tasked the advocates-in-training to know the difference between the Bar Council and a bar which is reserved for alcohol consumption.

He stressed at the Bar Council, there are professionals who make arguments while in a beer palour, there are people with arguments of doubtful origin.

This story was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3245 of Monday September 30, 2024