The urgency of convening Cameroon’s Supreme Judicial Council has reached a critical juncture following the President’s latest appointments.

Here are the key points from the editorial:

On June 2, 2026, the President signed a decree appointing members of the Supreme Judicial Council. Paul Biya renewed ten of the fourteen members whose terms had expired a year earlier for another five-year mandate. The Supreme Judicial Council has not convened since August 2020—nearly six years ago.

Human rights lawyer and activist Me Felix Nkongo Agbor Balla has condemned this institutional failure, warning of severe consequences for the rule of law, judicial independence, and public trust in the justice system.

The Supreme Judicial Council is constitutionally responsible for managing judicial careers, enforcing discipline, regulating ethics, and overseeing magistrate appointments. According to Me Agbor Balla, its prolonged inactivity has crippled these essential functions and significantly weakened the judiciary. In a January 2026 op-ed, he stated: “The continued dormancy of the Supreme Judicial Council has paralyzed these vital roles and substantially undermined the justice sector.”

He highlighted a particularly alarming consequence: magistrates graduating from the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) over the past six years have not been formally integrated into the judicial corps. As a result, they cannot take the oath or exercise judicial functions. This unprecedented situation has created a dangerous void in courts nationwide.

“Cameroon is currently facing a severe shortage of magistrates, leading to court backlogs, excessive pretrial detentions, and widespread delays in justice delivery,” he noted with regret.

The prolonged absence of Supreme Judicial Council meetings also denies citizens timely access to justice, especially as numerous judicial positions remain vacant due to deaths, retirements, or resignations. This void has reportedly led to legally questionable appointments in certain administrative jurisdictions, where judges were appointed without the Council’s prior advice—despite its exclusive authority over magistrate nominations and assignments.

“Beyond integration issues, disciplinary procedures are stalled, promotions are frozen, and professional misconduct cannot be addressed. Honest magistrates are discouraged, while corruption thrives in the absence of oversight,” Me Agbor Balla emphasized.

Given these stark and troubling realities, the urgency of convening the Supreme Judicial Council is undeniable. The time has come to strictly uphold the law, which mandates that this body meet twice annually.

Cameroon, Supreme Judicial Council, Eric Boniface Tchouakeu, Justice, Me Agbor Balla