A legal expert petitions the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals to challenge the decision of the Cameroon Bar Association limiting the number of sponsorship letters per lawyer.
A sharp controversy surrounds the organization of the bar internship entrance exam, 2026 session, in Cameroon. In an official petition dated February 20, 2026, addressed to the Minister of State, Minister of Justice and Keeper of the Seals in Yaoundé, Dr. Nkamwah Limen Phrobert Ayocal, from ARMEN LAW firm, requests government intervention to annul a provision deemed “non-compliant” issued by the Cameroon Bar Association.
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On February 12, 2026, the Minister of Justice signed decree No. 021/DPJ/SG/MJ/ setting the organizational conditions, date, and center for the Bar Internship Entrance Exam (EASA), 2026 session. This act, taken in accordance with decree No. 91/305 of July 4, 1991, organizing the bar internship entrance exam, sparked “joy and hope” among many candidates and their families.
Article 3 of the said decree specifies, in point 6, the obligation for each candidate to provide a sponsorship letter issued by a lawyer with at least five years of practice, without any other restrictive condition.
The situation became more complex on February 13, 2026, when a communiqué from the Cameroon Bar Association, signed by the President of the Bar and titled “To the attention of all candidates for the bar internship entrance exam 2026 session,” introduced a limitation.
In point No. 3 of the communiqué, it is stated that a lawyer can only issue sponsorship letters for up to three interns, including those already in training in their firm. A measure which, according to the petitioner, considerably restricts the possibilities for candidates to obtain the precious document required to compete.
In his correspondence, Dr. Nkamwah maintains that this limitation does not appear in decree No. 91/305 of July 4, 1991, the reference text governing the entrance exam. According to him, the rule limiting the number of trainee lawyers to three per firm falls under the organic law governing the legal profession, applicable only to interns already admitted, and not to simple candidates for the exam.
“Candidates for the exam are not yet trainee lawyers and cannot be subject to the organic provisions of the profession,” he argues, considering that it would be legally inappropriate to apply restrictions intended to regulate actual professional practice to applicants.
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Fearing massive disillusionment among aspiring lawyers, the petitioner formally requests the Minister:
To note that the decree organizing the exam sets no limit on the number of candidates a lawyer can sponsor, provided they have five years of practice;
To recognize that candidates are not yet subject to the organic law of the profession;
To declare the communiqué of February 13, 2026, from the Cameroon Bar Association non-compliant and of no effect;
To authorize all lawyers meeting the seniority condition to freely issue sponsorship letters.
Copies of the ministerial decree, the disputed communiqué, as well as the correspondence addressed to the President of the Bar Council were attached to the petition.
A debate with major stakes for the profession.
This case highlights an institutional tension between the regulatory authority of the ministry and the internal organizational power of the Bar. Beyond the legal controversy, the stake is crucial for hundreds of young law graduates who aspire to join the legal profession in Cameroon.
It now remains to be seen whether the Minister of Justice will intervene to settle this dispute, in the name of respect for the legal framework and fairness between candidates.
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