During a cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister, Philémon Yang, on 30 March in Yaoundé, the Minister of Justice, Laurent Esso, gave a presentation on the “innovations related to the reform of the penal code in Cameroon” embodied in decree n°2016/319 of 12 July 2016.
Among these innovations, the Minister of Justice indicated that Livre I (Book I), on general penal law, introduces alternative two-year sanctions. These include community service and compensation-penalty, whose application will eventually help to reduce the number of inmates in prisons. Regarding the criminal responsibility of legal entities, it pertains to offences committed on behalf of said legal entities by their official bodies or representatives. The primary prescribed penalties, being the termination, closing of the establishment, co-exist with secondary penalties.
With regards to Livre II (Book II) of the penal code on special criminal law, the Minister of Justice informed that the innovations present in this section are related on the one hand, to the protection of women, families and children in particular through the criminalisation of genital mutilations, sexual harassment, any impediment to the right to attend school.
On the other hand, to the improvement of social life, through the legal protection of any victim denouncing corruption acts to the judiciary authority, the punishment of ritual crimes, illegal rent agreements and illegal sale of medicine. Moreover, the legal innovation also consisted in reformulating some articles, such as the encroachment of judiciary authorities on some forms of immunity.
With businessincameroon