The Right Honourable President of the Senate, The Honourable Speaker of the National Assembly, The Honourable Prime Minister, Head of Government, The President of the Economic and Social Council, The President of the Constitutional Council, The Minister of State, Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, The Minister of State, Minister of Tourism and Leisure, The Minister of State, Minister of Higher Education, The Chancellor of National Orders, Distinguished Ministers, Distinguished Ministers Delegate and Secretaries of State, Your Excellencies, Ambassadors and Representatives of International Organizations The Permanent Secretary of OHADA, The Director General of the National School of Administration and Magistracy, The Governor of Centre Region, The Government Delegate to the Yaounde City Council, Distinguished Judicial and Legal Officers, Distinguished Army Generals, The President of the Cameroon Bar Association,
The President of the National Association of Notaries Public, The President of the National Association of Sherriff/Bailiffs, Traditional and Religious Leaders, Distinguished members of the judicial family, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
The Supreme Court is pleased with your presence in this hall decorated for such major events, and heartily welcomes you therein.
Section 33 (1) of Law No. 2006/16 of 29 December 2006 to lay down the organization and functioning of the Supreme Court 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].”
The solemn reopening of the Supreme Court holding this Thursday, 21 February 2019 intends to fulfil a double requirement: comply with the law referred to above and observe traditions of superior courts of final jurisdiction.
During this solemn reopening and true to tradition, the Supreme Court will present reflections on the topical issues in our country and especially on the requirements of our democracy and the Rule of Law under the theme: “Excesses in the Expression of Freedoms in Cameroon”.
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Your Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The "Hachette" dictionary defines excess as something that goes beyond the normal measure.
The exercise of freedoms is characterised by the dialectics of what is permitted and what is prohibited.
Excesses in the expression of freedoms represent drifts that abound in Cameroon concerning freedoms. Meanwhile, the legal framework is properly laid down in our country.
The base of our democracy is the blooming of freedoms (1) and the Rule of Law can only be properly assessed in relation to the expression of public freedoms.
In the form of introduction to his compendium entitled "Cameroon, Rights and Freedoms", President Paul Biya said in 1990: "Democracy is, over and above all, freedom.
- freedom of the press,
- freedom of opinion,
- total freedom of expression,
- freedom of association
- free elections." (2)
(1) Dominique Brullat, libertés publiques et droits de la personne humaine ; Bayeux 2003, p.32.