Barrister Ngoulla Fotso declares candidacy for Bar president.

This was on the sidelines of a seminar organised by Ngoulla Fotso and Associate Law Firm. It was under the theme: "The Lawyers' Contribution to the Proper Application of Insurance Law in the CIMA Area".  

The elections for the deliberative and disciplinary body of the Bar shall take place at the upcoming General Assembly slated for July 14, 2025. 

The candidacy of Barrister Ngoulla was highly welcomed by the over 500 lawyers who answered present at the event. 

Going by the slogan, "The strength of will, the courage to act", Barrister Ngoulla said her vision will be to "reinvent" the Bar.

In her declaration, Barrister Ngoulla outlined her plan of action, which included; improving the health and wellbeing of lawyers. 

"I promise to introduce health insurance coverage for lawyers on day one of my mandate, which the Bar will pay a large part of the premiums for lawyers who are up-to-date with their membership dues," she said. 

While talking, Barrister Ngoulla issued a cheque of five million FCFA in adherence to her promise.

The legal luminary, with 42 years of experience, said to put her expertise in use, she will make sure Cameroonian lawyers are competent, competitive while placing efficiency as top priority. 

She said it was for the cause of fine-tuning efficiency that for two years, she has personally organised over 15 free seminars on various legal topics with renowned experts, benefitting lawyers in Douala, Yaounde, Bamenda, Bafoussam, Limbe, Buea, Bertoua, Kribi and Garoua with the desire of doing even more across the country.

To ensure smooth functioning of the Bar

Regarding the smooth functioning of the Bar, Barrister Ngoulla pledged she will institute a biannual conference of the Bar, which will bring together members of the Bar Council, representatives and special delegates of the president of the Bar past and present as well as leaders of lawyers’ associations, to discuss the day-to-day challenges faced by the lawyers. 

This, she said, will be through awareness campaigns, targeted advertising and other activities. Enhancing the working conditions of lawyers is equally part of her top agenda. On this, she said her mandate will ensure better working conditions and recognition for the lawyers' professional status. 

Barrister Ngoulla also emphasised the need to strengthen the rule of law, improve the functioning of the justice system, and push for institutional reforms. Barrister Ngoulla said she will push for the Bar to play its full role as a guardian of the rule and a leading voice in civil society. 

She also pledged to fight corruption in the judiciary system, which, she said, is a big cankerworm in the system. She said her mandate will set up a joint anti-corruption commission at the level of each Court of Appeal in collaboration with key actors of the judiciary. 

Barrister Ngoulla also earmarks reforms within the Bar. As for young and early career lawyers, she says she will take the engagement to financially support any lawyer who agrees to set up practice outside main towns where appeal courts are located.

Barrister Ngoulla’s declaration of candidacy was well-received by the attendees who expressed their support for her vision and leadership. 

About the seminar 

Prior to the declaration of Barrister Ngoulla’s candidacy for Bar president the seminar was held with objective to drill lawyers, especially the young ones on the legal tools of insurance issues. 

“I organised this seminar because in the Bar now, there are a lot of ‘non-lawyers’ and they don't have seminars to perform what they have learned in school and as such, they can't be good lawyers. They need practical seminars so they can become competitive in the market. This seminar on insurance is very important because a big part of the market which belongs to lawyers has been taken by business agents by non-lawyers and they have a lot of money. We want to have the monopoly of insurance," Barrister Ngoulla said.

The seminar discussed several key topics, including objections in submission and memorandums of submission, inadmissibility of claims from victims of road traffic accidents, and objections based on non-coverage amongst others.

The event provided a platform for lawyers to share their expertise and experiences, and to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the field of insurance law.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3469 of Tuesday June 10, 2025