NICO HALLE & CO LAW FIRM Organizes Seminar To Raise Awareness On: THE ESTABLISHMENT AND EXECUTION OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL WILLS (PART 2).

Participants At The Seminar Learnt For Example That In The Common Law (English Law) Jurisdiction The Widow Is Considered First In Applying For Letter Of Administration, And Sharing Of Property. But With Civil Law (French Law) The Widow Comes After Others. Sir Dr Barrister Nico HALLE Has Asserted That There Will Be No Conflict Over Inheritance Or Sharing Of Property, If Families Practice The Rule Of Love (Law of Love).

The renowned Nico Halle & Co Law Firm in Bonaberi -Douala, on Friday, November 6, 226, organized for free an important seminar which had as venue the conference room of the Law Firm, to raise public awareness on the Establishment and Execution of Formal and Informal Wills. Invited participants to the seminar were mostly Christians of the Presbyterian Church Bonaberi –Douala Congregation of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon, PCC. The important seminar had as Moderator Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle of the Nico Halle & Co Law Firm, who was also one of the resource persons.

Common Law And Civil Law 

Meanwhile, as reporters observed at the November 6, 2026 seminar, which as aforementioned was on them e, The Establishment and Execution of Formal and Informal Wills, many Cameroonians do not kwon that there are some differences between the Common Law (English System), and the Civil Law (French System), that Cameroon is still to completely harmonized to have just one legal system, over 60 years after independence and reunification of Cameroon. The Common Law continues to be practiced in the two Anglophone Regions of Cameroon, that is, in the Northwest and Southwest Regions (Common Law Jurisdiction). while the Civil Law (French System) continues to be practiced in the Francophone part of the country, comprised of eight regions.(Civil Law Jurisdiction).

And when it comes to marriage, especially since the Anglophone Crisis sparked off 10 years ago, the tendency is that many fiancés that hail from the two Anglophone Regions (Northwest and Southwest), because of the insecurity in those two regions, sign or legalize their engagement as husbands and wives at councils in Douala, and other towns in the French –speaking part of the country. But most do without taking into consideration the fact that the marriages are taking place under the Civil Law jurisdiction, and not the Common Law being practiced in the two Anglophone regions. Also, there are many Anglophone Cameroonians in the diaspora who just zoom into the country and sign or legalize their marriages at councils in Douala and Yaounde, without seeking legal advice or knowing that they are marrying under the Civil Law, which has some differences with the Common Law practiced in the two Anglophones regions.

A Widow In A Common Law Jurisdiction 

Lawyers at the Nico Halle & Co Law Firm Douala (a bilingual law firm), where there are some lawyers with background in Common Law , and others with background in Civil Law , who were resource persons at the November 6, 2026 seminar, explained that there are some differences between the Common Law and the Civil Law, when it comes for example to inheritance and sharing of property of a man who passes away. They explained that the Common Law follows the WILL’S ACT of 1937, which gives directives on inheritance which includes the application for Letter of Administration, as well as the sharing or distribution of property that a deceased person leaves behind.

It was explained that in Common Law, the spouse or wife, or better still, the widow of the late man, has pride of place in applying for Letter of Administration, and in the sharing of property left behind by the deceased person for his family. So with Common Law, the widow comes first, that is, before the children and other family members included in the Will as beneficiaries of the property left behind by her late husband

A Widow In The Civil Law Jurisdiction 

But with the Civil Law, the situation is different. The spouse or widow is not given pride of place either in the application for a letter of Administration, or in the sharing of property left behind by the late husband. Instead, pride of place is given to the children of the deceased person. Even if other family members of the deceased person are mentioned in the Will as beneficiaries of what the deceased person has left behind, they are also considered before the widow. In fact the widow comes last or is considered last.

This issue raised quite some strong disapproval, especially by women, at the November 6, 2026 seminar. But as Dr Barrister Vigiline Tise, with a background in Civil Law explained, that is what the Law unfortunately says.

The Case Of Widows Who Deliver Children With Other Men

Another disturbing issue which came up during the question and answer session at the seminar, was the case of widows who get impregnated by other men, and deliver the children, while still living in the homes, or even in the Family compounds of their late husbands. One of the participants at the seminar, even angrily cited the case of a late family member, whose widow has given birth to as many as three other children with another man, or with other men, while she is still living in the family house. The lady said worse or all, the three children, are bearing the name of the widow’s late husband. The lady added that the children the woman had with her late husband, are calling those other children, bastards. She seemed to agree with the children, that the three others are bastards.

The lawyers in their reaction, limited themselves to the issue of the three children the widow has had with another man or with other men, and who are bearing her late husband’s name. The lawyers minced no words that the three children, do not in any way belong to the late husband of the woman, and that it is illegal, and even insulting to the memory of the deceased person, for the woman to give the name of her late husband to the three children, she has had with another man or with other men. The lawyers said it was in the interest of those three children, for the mother to show them their real father or fathers, so that they can contribute to the upbringing of the children.

The Rule Of Law / The Law Of Love

Meanwhile, in the last part of the seminar on the theme , The Establishment and Execution of Formal and Informal Wills, that was organized by the Nico Halle & Co Law Firm, to sensitize the public, precisely Christians on the Establishment and Execution of Formal and Informal Wills, Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle, put aside the wig of a lawyer, and talked as a Christian, expounding on his concept of the Rule Of Love (Law of Love). As regard the theme of the seminar, Halle said one of the worst things for a Christian to do to his family, is to die and leave his family in chaos – in the fight over inheritance or property.

Nico Halle laid emphasis on the fact that the greatest Law or Constitution in the world is Love. He stated that Christians in particular are supposed to bring up their children in the fear of Lord, and there will be love and harmony in the family. Parents will love their children, and the children will also love their parents, as well as love each other. Halle opined that the best way for a man to handle the writing of his Will, is not to instead hide it from his wife and children and do it alone. He said rather the man should sit down with his wife and children, and in al transparency do the Will, sharing out the property or whatever he will leave behind for the family, and answer any question or clarify any issue that comes up during the exercise. Halle said in such a situation, there will be no quarrel or fighting over property when the man passes away, because the children had already accepted or known the sharing that was done by their father when he was alive. And so there will be no bitterness or fighting over inheritance or fighting over property, when the man dies.

People Are Generally A Reflection Of Their Upbringing

But one of the participants at the seminar expressed the fear that if a man does his Will that way, jealousy might spark off between the children, and may even lead to one or some of the children, killing one of their brothers whom they thinks has been favoured in the Will.

In reaction, Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle pointed out that participants at that seminar were Christians, and that Christians are supposed to bring up their children in the fear of the Lord. He added that parents are supposed to teach good morals to their children, for them to love each other, by living exemplary lives , as children are very good in copying what their parents do. Halle said if parents bring up their children in the fear of the Lord, and there is thus the Rule of Love or the Law in the family or between the children, a father would not talk of a child being jealous of his brother, not to talk of a man killing his brother because of property. Halle insisted on the fact that the character of a child or a man or woman, is often a reflection of the way the person was brought up by the parents.

No Guarantee That A Will Be Accepted Or Executed

Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Hale as well pointed out that even when a man does his Will secretly by not involving his wife and children, there is no guarantee that it will be accepted or executed when he passes away, because some of the children can protest against the Will, and take the matter to court. He noted that cases of inheritance or the sharing of property that go to court, often drag on for years in court, with a lot of damaging effects on the family in different forms. He noted with regret that some cases over inheritance or sharing of properties concerning some prominent Cameroonians that died years back are still pending in court till date. He however said he would not call any names or get into that.

However, The Mentor knows quite q number of such cases, having carried out investigations into several of these cases, and done over a dozen articles on them. There is for example the case of multi – billionaire, Paul Soppo Priso of Douala, who in the 70s and 80s was considered as the richest Cameroonian. Soppo Priso died in 1996 leaving a Will and a next –of – kin. But cases related to the fight over the properties Soppo Priso left behind, are still in court in Douala till date, that is, 30 years after his death. Many properties have even since disappeared. The next-of-kin, Gaston Claude Soppo Priso, died in France on January 4, 2020, apparently due partly to frustration, following what was happening since he father passed away. There is also the case of another billionaire, Chief Barrister HNA Enonchong, who besides his Law firm, went into real estate business, agriculture (rubber plantations), and other businesses. Chief Enonchong died in 2008, that is, 16 years ago. But till date, cases linked to the fight over properties by the children are still in court in Douala, and many of the properties have also disappeared.

Gratitude To Nico Halle / Embrace Rule Of Love

Meanwhile before curtains were drawn on the seminar that was organized for some Christians of the PCC by the Nico Halle & Co Law Firm, participants all expressed profound gratitude to Sir Dr Barrister Ntumfor Nico Halle, for the important seminar on raising awareness on issues related to Wills, admitting that they had in fact been living in ignorance. They said they had learnt quite a lot at the seminar.
Most of the participants at the seminar also declared that they have embraced Niico Halle’s concept of Rule of Lowe or the Law of Love, and will strive to nurture the spirit of the Rule of Love, as well as apply it in preparing or modifying their Wills. They pray to God that when their time eventually comes to leave this world, they should leave behind peace loving families that practice the Rule of Love, or the Law of Love.