Bit by bit, the distinct Common Law system has been stripped away and replaced with Civil Law—a French-style system marked by centralization, codification, and bureaucratic control.
By the editorial desk- The independentist
On July 16, 2025, the government of Cameroon signed a decree extending Notaires—civil law notaries—into the territory of Former British Southern Cameroons. At first glance, it may seem like a routine legal move. But beneath the surface, it is a calculated step in a long campaign to erase a people’s identity, history, and legal foundation.
This decree is not just about who writes contracts. It is about who has the right to exist—and under what system.
A Tale of Two Legal Traditions
The territory known today as Former British Southern Cameroons was, by history and international law, governed under the Common Law system—a legal tradition inherited from the British, emphasizing open courts, oral argument, and adversarial justice. This system was promised preservation when the region joined in political union with the French-speaking Republic of Cameroon in 1961.
But since that union, there has been a slow, deliberate process of assimilation, not integration. Bit by bit, the distinct Common Law system has been stripped away and replaced with Civil Law—a French-style system marked by centralization, codification, and bureaucratic control.
The Decree Is Just the Latest Blow
This recent decree is not an isolated action. It follows years of:
The removal of Common Law judges from appellate courts
The appointment of French-trained magistrates to interpret British-based laws
The erosion of Anglo-Saxon education standards, including examination boards
And now, the introduction of Notaires—a profession that does not exist in Common Law tradition—into Anglophone communities
This is not modernization. This is replacement. The goal is not reform but erasure—to make the people forget what they were, and become something else entirely.
Understanding the System Behind It All
What’s happening is not random. It is the work of a system—one built not to protect citizens, but to control them.
This system was designed during the colonial era and reinforced after independence to serve external interests. It is a network of laws, appointments, secret orders, and unaccountable authority. It operates through:
Foreign-influenced policymaking that rewrites national laws without local consent
Appointed administrators who override the will of elected communities
A centralized bureaucracy that denies access to justice for those outside the system
A culture of domination that sees diversity as a threat, not a strength
This system does not recognize two equal peoples. It only recognizes obedience to a single model, defined at the center and imposed at the margins.
Why the System Must Be Dismantled, Not Reformed
The issue is no longer just about a decree. It is about a system that is:
Historically dishonest: It breaks the promises made in 1961 to protect separate legal and educational systems.
Legally unjust: It undermines over 3,000 trained lawyers, judges, and legal scholars who built their careers under Common Law.
Politically toxic: It fuels alienation, resentment, and resistance.
Culturally destructive: It wages war on memory, language, and legal tradition.
This is not a system that can be negotiated with or patched up. It is a system designed to absorb and silence.
To survive as a people, the system must be dismantled.
A Moment of Decision
What happens next matters. Will the people surrender their legal heritage for the sake of uniformity? Or will they draw a clear line—defending their right to govern themselves under a system that reflects their history, culture, and dignity?
This is not just a legal debate. This is about the future of identity and sovereignty.
If the past is any guide, then the introduction of this decree will not bring peace. It will bring resistance. It will awaken memory. And it may ignite a new wave of struggle—not against people, but against a structure that was never meant to include them in the first place.
This is the moment to educate. To organize. To stand.
The decree is not the root—it is the symptom.
The real fight is to end the system that keeps making decrees like this possible.
The editorial desk
