Cameroon: the urgency of convening the high council of the judiciary

President Paul Biya signed a decree on 2 June 2026 appointing members to the High Council of the Judiciary. The head of state renewed ten of the fourteen members, whose terms had expired a year ago, for another five-year mandate. The High Council of the Judiciary has not met since August 2020 – nearly six years ago.

According to human rights lawyer and advocate Me Felix Nkongo Agbor Balla, this institutional failure has serious consequences for the rule of law, judicial independence, and public trust in the justice system. The council is constitutionally responsible for managing magistrates’ careers, discipline, integration, and ethical oversight.

“Its prolonged inactivity has paralysed these essential functions and significantly weakened the judicial sector,” the lawyer wrote in a January 2026 analysis that offered a near-exhaustive diagnosis of the situation.

“One of the most worrying consequences is that magistrates who graduated from the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) over the past six years have still not been formally integrated into the judiciary. As a result, they cannot take the oath or exercise judicial functions. This unprecedented situation has created an alarming vacuum in courts across the country,” Me Agbor Balla lamented.

“Cameroon currently faces a critical shortage of magistrates, leading to overcrowded courts, excessive case backlogs, prolonged detentions, and widespread delays in the administration of justice,” he noted with regret.

“The extended absence of a council meeting also deprives citizens of swift access to justice, especially since many positions remain vacant due to deaths, retirements, or resignations. This gap has led to legally questionable appointments, particularly in some administrative jurisdictions, where judges have been appointed without the council’s prior advice – the only body competent for magistrate appointments and postings.”

“Beyond integration, disciplinary procedures are blocked, promotions suspended, and professional misconduct cannot be examined. Honest magistrates become discouraged while corruption thrives in the absence of oversight,” Me Agbor Balla concluded.

Faced with such a clear and alarming assessment, the urgency of convening the High Council of the Judiciary is obvious. It is simply a matter of strictly respecting the law, which requires the council to meet twice a year.