Biya appoints Higher Judicial Council members.

Decree No. 2026/201 of June 2, 2026, mentions the name of both substantive and alternate members. Members of the National Assembly appointed to the Council are; Hon Soppo Toute Marlyse, Hon Ngoni Mariam and Hon Essomba Bengono Engelbert. 

The alternate members, according to the same Presidential fiat, are; Aliyoum Fadil, Hon Donald Molomba Esembe and Ngo Rolaude Adele.

Substantive members representing the Supreme Court are; Fofung Nabun epse Wacka, Mekoulou Cunegonde Christine epse Ngotty and Moukouri Francis Claude.

They have as alternates Oumarou Abdou, Sokeng Roger and Ntyam Ondo epse Mengue Zomo. Ekono Nna Albert is the personality designated by the Head of State with Sali Dahirou as his alternate.

The members, the decree indicated, have a five-year mandate. The appointments come after close to six years since the institution, which manages the careers of magistrates last met on August 10, 2020.

The President of the Republic is the President of the Higher Judicial Council. The Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso, is the Vice President of the organ. 

The Higher Judicial Council was established through Law No. 82/14 of 26 November 1982, which detailed its organisation and functioning as amended by Law No. 89/16 of 28 July 1989.

Before the appointments, several members of the Council had died and had been replaced while other positions remained vacant. Some of the persons appointed yesterday, such as Fofung Nabun epse Wacka is an old member of the organ.

Time to post idling magistrates

Tuesday’s decree has left many observers hoping that the gridlock that has befallen the magistracy corps in the last four years is about to be addressed.

The failure of the Council to meet as prescribed by law, has caused at least four batches of magistrates trained at the National School of Administration and Magistracy, ENAM, to be ‘idling’ around. 

They were recently posted by officials of the Ministry of Justice to serve as interns in courts nationwide.

Without the meeting of the Council, they cannot be formally absorbed into the corps and posted to serve across the country. 

There are also magistrates who are due promotion and retirement that have remained on the same spot since the Council last met.

A few years ago, the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals, Laurent Esso, while appearing before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate, had revealed that some 897 complaints against magistrates were also pending.

Then, he had revealed that the General Directorate of Judicial Services in the Ministry of Justice has been seized by citizens for various accusations of wrongdoing against magistrates.

The Minister of State had reportedly remarked that: “For a total of 1,784 magistrates, the General Inspectorate of Judicial Services has been seized to carry out 879 investigations”.

With Tuesday’s appointment, it is hoped that the Head of State would convene the Council in the days ahead to address issues related to the corps.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3806 of Wednesday June 03, 2026