On 27 January 2026, a document titled “Notice to the Public – Consultation Fee” was issued under the letterhead of the Cameroon Bar Association, referencing a purported resolution taken by lawyers resident in the North West Region The notice declares that consultation fees for advocates practising in the region “shall henceforth be” fixed at 100,000 FCFA, described as a minimum amount above which the advocate may negotiate depending on the nature of the brief. The document is signed by Barrister Njie Jude Mokom, being, “The Bar President’s Special Delegate – North West Region” and bears the stamp of the Cameroon Bar Association. On its face, the notice purports to bind all advocates practising in the North West Region and to impose disciplinary consequences for non-compliance.
This essay examines the legality, authority, and ethical implications of this document within the framework of Cameroonian law governing the legal profession. It argues that the notice, insofar as it purports to impose a region-wide minimum consultation fee and threatens disciplinary sanctions for deviation, is ultra vires, inconsistent with the law organizing the legal profession, contrary to the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Cameroon Bar, and incompatible with foundational principles of professional independence, freedom of fees, and client autonomy. The essay further situates the analysis within comparative professional regulation and competition principles to underscore the seriousness of the issues raised.
The Legal Status of the Document: Authority and Normative Hierarchy
The document in question is styled as a “Notice to the Public” rather than a regulation, circular of the Bar Council, or decision of a disciplinary body. It refers to a “resolution taken by lawyers resident within the North West Region” on 23 January 2026. Critically, it does not purport to be a decision of the Bar Council, nor does it reference approval by that body or by the General Assembly of the Bar. Under Law No. 90/059 of 19 November 1990 organizing the legal profession in Cameroon, normative authority within the Bar is structured and hierarchical. Binding professional norms emanate from: Statute (Law No. 90/059); the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Cameroon Bar Association; Decisions of the Bar Council acting within its statutory competence; and Disciplinary decisions rendered in accordance with prescribed procedures.
A resolution adopted by a group of lawyers resident in a particular region does not, by itself, possess normative force capable of binding all advocates or grounding disciplinary sanctions. The document’s attempt to elevate such a resolution into a mandatory rule raises immediate concerns of institutional competence and legality.
The Role of the Bar Council and the Limits of Delegation
The Bar Council is the supreme deliberative and disciplinary organ of the Cameroon Bar. While regional representatives and special delegates may act as administrative representatives of the Bar President, they do not possess autonomous legislative or regulatory power. There is no provision in Law No. 90/059 or the Internal Regulations that authorizes a regional delegate—or lawyers resident in a region collectively—to fix professional fees or impose disciplinary sanctions for non-compliance with such fixation.
Accordingly, the notice’s assertion that violation of the stated consultation fee “shall result to disciplinary sanctions” is particularly problematic. The same raises significant concerns, is particularly troubling and objectionable and cannot be let to avail the lawyers resident in the North West Region.
Freedom of Fees Under Cameroonian Law and Professional Regulation
Cameroonian law recognizes the advocate as a member of a liberal profession entitled to remuneration for services rendered. This remuneration is governed by the principle commonly described as liberté des honoraires. Under Article 65 of the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Cameroon Bar, lawyers are entitled to professional fees agreed with their clients, and such fees must be determined with reference to recognized criteria including complexity, time spent, urgency, and the importance of the interests involved. The Internal Regulations further require lawyers to inform clients of the modalities for determining fees and to maintain transparency through detailed accounts. Importantly, while fixed or lump-sum fees may be agreed with clients, such agreements are individual and case-specific. The regulations expressly prohibit quota litis arrangements, underscoring that fee autonomy is not absolute but structured.
The notice under analysis fundamentally misconceives the nature of fee autonomy. The freedom to determine fees belongs to the individual lawyer, exercised in a bilateral relationship with the client. It does not belong to a collective of lawyers acting together to impose minimum cost of services rendered or to be rendered. By declaring that consultation fees “shall henceforth be” 100,000 FCFA across an entire region, the notice replaces individualized negotiation with a uniform, mandatory standard. This directly contradicts Article 65’s emphasis on case-by-case assessment and individual discretion. The assertion that the stated amount is merely a “minimum” does not cure the defect; minimum price-fixing is still price-fixing.
Professional Independence and Ethical Obligations
Professional independence is one of the foundational values of the legal profession in Cameroon. The Internal Rules and Regulations of the Bar require advocates to act with independence, dignity, probity, and humaneness. Independence includes freedom from improper influence not only by clients and public authorities, but also by colleagues. The notice undermines this independence by subjecting individual lawyers to a collective mandate. A lawyer who might otherwise choose to charge less—for example, to accommodate a vulnerable client or to reflect the simplicity of a matter—is deprived of that discretion. The threat of disciplinary sanctions for deviation compounds the coercive nature of the arrangement.
Ethical regulation is particularly sensitive to forms of peer pressure that distort professional judgment. The document explicitly states that “any violation of this resolution shall result to disciplinary sanctions,” thereby transforming collegial consensus into coercive enforcement. Such pressure is incompatible with the ethical requirement that lawyers exercise independent professional judgment in all aspects of their practice, including billing.
Client Autonomy and Access to Justice
The uniform imposition of a 100,000 FCFA consultation fee significantly restricts client choice. Clients are deprived of the ability to seek lower-cost consultations for straightforward matters or preliminary advice. The notice thus imposes a financial barrier at the very entry point to legal services. Access to justice is not an abstract ideal; it is directly affected by pricing structures. Consultation fees often determine whether a client can even obtain initial legal advice. A mandatory regional minimum, risks excluding economically vulnerable clients and undermining public confidence in the profession.
Also, while predictability in fees may be desirable, transparency does not require uniformity. Ethical transparency is achieved through clear communication and informed consent, not through collective price mandates. The notice conflates these concepts and, in doing so, sacrifices client autonomy for administrative convenience.
Collective Price-Fixing as a Cartel-Like Practice
Although lawyers are regulated professionals, they remain economic actors operating in a market for legal services. A region-wide agreement to fix minimum consultation fees bears the hallmarks of collective price-fixing, a practice widely condemned in competition law. Even where professional regulation permits certain restrictions in the public interest, collective price-fixing is rarely justified. It eliminates price competition, prevents market differentiation, and artificially inflates costs to consumers. Comparative experience reinforces this conclusion. In jurisdictions such as France and Canada (including Quebec), professional bodies may issue non-binding fee guidelines, but mandatory tariffs imposed by practitioners themselves have been criticized or invalidated as incompatible with both professional independence and competition principles. Courts and regulators have consistently rejected arguments that professional dignity justifies price-fixing.
This notice coming from the lawyers resident in the North West region of Cameroon mirrors precisely the types of practices that have attracted regulatory sanction elsewhere. Its existence therefore exposes the Bar to reputational and potentially regulatory risk.
Within the present dispensation, can a lawyer who violates this notice be punished?
The question at hand is whether, under the current legal and regulatory framework governing the legal profession in Cameroon, a lawyer who charges consultation fees contrary to the notice under review can lawfully be subjected to disciplinary sanctions.
The foremost consideration is the legal status and authority of the notice itself. The document is styled as a “Notice to the Public” issued by lawyers resident in the North West Region and signed by the Bar President’s Special Delegate for that region. However, it is not a formal regulation or decision emanating from the Cameroon Bar Council—the supreme governing and disciplinary body under Law No. 90/059 of 19 November 1990, which organizes the legal profession. Binding professional rules and disciplinary norms derive solely from the statute, the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Cameroon Bar, decisions of the Bar Council acting within its statutory competence, or disciplinary decisions made pursuant to due process. A regional resolution or notice adopted by a subset of lawyers does not constitute a valid normative act capable of binding all lawyers or grounding disciplinary sanctions.
Therefore, the notice does not possess the requisite legal authority to impose binding consultation fees or to create disciplinary offenses for non-compliance. At best, it is an unfortunate usurpation of the role of the Bar Council. The Bar Council must distance itself from this against the risk of being cited by the public for complicity to undermine itself, the public and the law. The imposition of a uniform minimum consultation fee across a region amounts to collective price-fixing, which conflicts with the individual autonomy granted to advocates. No provision in the governing law or regulations authorizes any body or official within the Bar to impose such a mandatory fee schedule.
Furthermore, disciplinary action against lawyers must be based on breaches of valid professional norms and conducted through established procedures guaranteeing fairness and due process. Sanctions may only be imposed by competent disciplinary authorities on the basis of recognized violations. Since the North West Region consultation fee notice is not a recognized professional norm, charging fees below the stated amount cannot be deemed a disciplinary offense. Any attempt to discipline a lawyer solely for such fee deviation would be ultra vires and open to legal challenge. The notice’s issuance on official Bar letterhead with the Bar’s seal risks creating the false impression of legality and binding authority. However, the absence of authorization from the Bar Council or applicable statutory basis means that disciplinary enforcement on this ground would constitute institutional overreach and undermine the rule of law governing the profession.
Permissible Alternatives to the Impugned Notice
The concerns that may have motivated the notice—such as underpricing, lack of professionalism, or inconsistency in billing—can be addressed through lawful means. These may include: non-binding guidance on reasonable consultation fees; training and sensitization on ethical billing practices; promotion of written fee agreements; and targeted regulation of legal aid fees through proper channels.
None of these alternatives require collective price-fixing or coercive enforcement.
Lawyers in the North West Region who are concerned about issues such as inconsistent consultation fees, underpricing, or lack of professionalism have several lawful avenues to address these challenges without resorting to impermissible collective fee-fixing. One effective approach is to advocate for the Cameroon Bar Council to issue non-binding fee guidelines or recommendations. Such guidelines can provide useful benchmarks for reasonable and ethical fee structures that reflect the local context, complexity of matters, and professional standards. By remaining advisory rather than mandatory, these guidelines would respect each advocate’s individual autonomy to negotiate fees with clients while promoting transparency and predictability in legal service pricing. This balanced approach fosters uniformity in professional conduct without infringing on the fundamental principle of liberté des honoraires.
Furthermore, lawyers may pursue educational and training initiatives to raise awareness of ethical billing practices, emphasizing the importance of clear communication and transparency with clients. Encouraging the widespread adoption of written fee agreements can also enhance client understanding and trust, minimizing disputes over fees. Where concerns pertain to access to justice or affordability, lawyers and the Bar may seek to influence policy through appropriate channels to regulate fees in legal aid or pro bono services, ensuring fairness without imposing unlawful collective mandates. These lawful alternatives align with statutory requirements, uphold professional independence, and contribute to strengthening the integrity and reputation of the legal profession in Cameroon.
Conclusion
The “Notice to the Public – Consultation Fee” issued on 27 January 2026 for the North West Region represents a profound misunderstanding of the legal and ethical framework governing the Cameroonian legal profession. By purporting to impose a mandatory regional consultation fee and threatening disciplinary sanctions for non-compliance, the notice contravenes the principle of freedom of fees, undermines professional independence, restricts client autonomy, and resembles impermissible collective price-fixing.
Within the hierarchy of professional norms, the document lacks lawful authority and is inconsistent with both Law No. 90/059 of 19 November 1990 and the Internal Rules and Regulations of the Cameroon Bar Association. Far from protecting the dignity of the profession, it risks eroding public trust and exposing the Bar to legal and ethical challenge. The integrity of the legal profession in Cameroon is best preserved through adherence to rule-based regulation, individual ethical judgment, and respect for client autonomy—not through regionally imposed fee mandates unsupported by law.
In conclusion, under the present legal dispensation, a lawyer who charges consultation fees below the fixed minimum of 100,000 FCFA as stipulated in the 27 January 2026 North West Region notice cannot lawfully be punished through disciplinary sanctions. The notice lacks normative authority, conflicts with the statutory regime granting fee autonomy, and fails to provide a valid legal basis for disciplinary proceedings. Disciplinary sanctions can only be imposed in respect of breaches of legally valid professional rules adopted or sanctioned by competent authorities following due process. Lawyers remain entitled to set fees individually with clients, subject to existing ethical standards and transparency obligations. The Cameroon Bar Association should therefore clarify the invalidity of the notice, refrain from enforcement attempts, and address any concerns regarding fee practices through lawful and ethical regulatory measures consistent with the legal framework.
*Tanyi-Mbianyor Samuel Tabi is a playwright, poet and aphorist. Called to Bar in 2003, he is a member of the Cameroon Bar Association and Managing Partner at Lex Lata Law Chambers in Buea, a private law corporation he founded in 2003.
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