At least 25 lawyers and human rights advocates across Cameroon left Buea over the weekend after attending a Trial Observation Training for Lawyers and Human Rights Advocates on Regional and International Fair Trial Standards, an initiative of the American Bar Association Centre for Human Rights, in partnership with the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA.

Aimed at sharpening the skills of lawyers and human rights advocates in observing and monitoring fair trials following international standards, Friday and Saturday’s training was co-facilitated by Barrister Nkongho Felix Agbor alias Agbor Balla and Barrister Nkea Emmanuel Aleambong.

Agbor Balla is Founder/President of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in Africa, CHRDA and currently serves as vice president of the African Bar Association in charge of Central Africa. The former president of the Fako Lawyers Association, FAKLA, and leader of the outlawed Cameroon Anglophone Civil Society Consortium (CACSC) shared his years of legal experience with his peers.

Agbor Balla said the training, which is an initiative of the American Bar Association Centre for Human Rights and CHRDA, was aimed at assisting the government of Cameroon and the courts in the dispensation of justice.

“It will also go a long way to clarify the public perception that justice in Cameroon is sold for money, and works only to the interest of a stronger party. 25 lawyers, human rights defenders, and trial observers from all over Cameroon have been trained to monitor and report on the conduct of trials in Courts in their communities to ensure that justice is not only done but should be seen to be done. This would help do away with the public perception that there is no justice in the country. A judge who knows that he is being monitored for every action or decision he takes in Court would do only what is right,” he said.

On his part, Barrister Nkea, also shared his rich and diverse experience in legal practice and research; as a Trial Lawyer, Company Secretary, State Counsel, University Law Lecturer, Principal Magistrate, High Court Judge and Justice of Appeal.

With in-depth experience in qualitative legal analysis and proven ability to develop cooperative working relationships and resilience, Barrister Nkea said ‘fairness means getting justice and justice means getting peace’. To him, if everyone is treated fairly and equally, there would be no chaos in society and everyone will be at peace with each other.

He looked at the constitution of Cameroon the criminal procedure code and the military justice code as the relevant domestic legal instruments which guarantee the right to a fair trial.

At the end of the training, the participants expressed gratitude to the organizers saying they were able to horn their skills in the domain of trial monitoring and trial observation methods. They all expressed willingness to work as a team to promote the course of justice in Cameroon and also called on the organizers to always come up with such refreshing training like this to keep them abreast with knowledge in the human rights and trial monitoring domain.

“It was my pleasure to have been part of this great initiative. I thank the organizers and the facilitators Barrister Nkongho and Barrister Nkea. But like Oliver Twist, I shall be waiting for more to come,” said Buea-based lawyer, Barrister Awungjia Tets.

Attending the training all the way from Yaoundé, Barrister Dorcas Nkongme expressed her gratitude to the initiators of the training. “I want to thank the organizers and facilitators for the rich knowledge shared with us.”

Barrister Arrey Collins thanked the trainers for sharing their wealth of knowledge with them. “I thank Barrister Nkongho and Barrister Nkea for such an opportunity. Their excellent mastery of the subject matter has immensely armed me with new skills in the protection of human rights. I trust in your expertise and looking forward to more as my drive and passion in the protection of the rights of persons remains unstoppable.”