The Head of State on April 18 signed a decree on the status of magistrates.

The Higher Judicial Council of Cameroon during its session of Wednesday, April 18, presided by President Paul Biya, its chairperson, took major decisions to revitalise the judiciary system in the country. Some of the key innovations concern conditions for admission into the magistracy department of the National School of Administration and Magistracy (ENAM) to meet present needs.

The members of the Higher Judicial Council gave their opinion on the status of magistrates and its chairperson, President Paul Biya consequently signed a decree modifying the provisions of previous decrees on the status of magistrates. This concerns specifically the admission into the magistracy corps. Before the signing of decree N° 2012:188 of April 18, 2012, only holders of a Post-graduate Diplomas or “Maitrise” in Private Law could be admitted in ENAM to read magistracy. With the decree, the doors of magistracy are opened to the admission of holders of Post-graduates Diplomas in Public Law, Economics, Management and Computer Sciences from any Cameroonian university. Holders of equivalent diplomas from foreign universities will henceforth sit the entrance examination into ENAM to read magistracy with the authorisation of competent ministries.

The opening up of admission into the magistracy corps is explained by a wide series of judicial reforms and the creation of specialised courts to handle different cases, needing staff with the necessary adapted academic and professional backgrounds. For instance, at the level of the Supreme Court, there is the Audit Bench to handle cases of the management of public and semi-public enterprises and the Administrative Bench. The take off of the Special Criminal Court and other courts requires staff from diverse backgrounds who must also master the magistracy profession.