The Right Honourable President of the Senate, The Right Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly, The Honourable Prime Minister, Head of Government, The President of the Economic and Social Council, The Right Honourable President of the Constitutional Council, Honourable Ministers of State, Honourable Ministers, Distinguished Ministers Delegate, and Secretaries of State, Distinguished Army Generals, The Director General of the National School of Administration and Magistracy, The President of the Cameroon Bar Association, The President of the National Association of Sheriff/Bailiffs, The President of the National Association of Notaries Public, The Government Delegate to the Yaounde City Council, Distinguished Traditional and Religious Leaders, Distinguished Judicial and Legal Officers, Distinguished members of the judicial family, Ladies and Gentlemen, all protocol respected.
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The Supreme Court is especially honoured with your distinguished presence in this sumptuous hall and heartily welcomes you therein.
Today’s solemn session is drawn from section 33 (1) of Law No. 2006/16 of 29 December 2006 to lay down the organisation and functioning of the Supreme Court which provides: “At the start of each judicial year and on 28 February at the latest, a solemn reopening ceremony of the Supreme Court, attended by heads of appeal courts, lower administrative courts and lower audit courts in judicial robes, shall hold under the chairmanship of the [Chief Justice].”
Through this ceremony, the Supreme Court intends to comply with the legal provision referred to above and observe what has become a tradition of contemporary Superior Courts of final jurisdiction.
During this ceremony and true to tradition, the Supreme Court will share a discourse with you on the economic developments of our country and especially on relations between the Judiciary, penal standard-setting, and the business climate in Cameroon. As a result, this address will examine a slightly technical theme entitled:
“THE CHALLENGES OF PENAL PROTECTION OF PAYMENT AND LENDING INSTRUMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE BUSINESS CLIMATE IN CAMEROON”
Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
Cameroon can only truly develop if her economy takes off. The blossoming of economic activities is a prelude to development.
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In recent years, the various “DOING BUSINESS” reports (1) and the many forums (2) and seminars on investment in Cameroon have tended to blame the Judiciary and the delay in standard-setting activity with respect to economic demands.
The CEMAC lawmaker and the Cameroon penal lawmaker have laid down the penal protection of payment and lending instruments as strong measures to improve the business climate.
Initially feared by the business world, Criminal Law now has an important place in the business enhancement strategy. (1)
In a bid to illustrate my point, I will take a look at the CEMAC Regulation No. 2/3/CEMAC/UMAC/CM signed in Yaounde on 4 April 2003 (2) and the Cameroon Law No. 2019/21 of 24 December 2019. (3)