The Bar Associations of Guinea-Bissau and Cape Verde reacted this Thursday, May 8, in support of the Angolan Bar Association, whose event scheduled for today was suspended by the Luanda Court of Appeal.
The A.B.A. (Angolan Bar Association) had planned to hold a “National Dialogue on the Electoral Legislative Process,” which aimed, among other things, to listen, reflect, and debate with the goal of strengthening the democratic legitimacy of the laws.
In a statement accessed by Correio da Kianda, the Cape Verdean Bar Association expressed deep concern over the decision handed down by the Luanda Court of Appeal, which ordered the event’s suspension.
“This decision constitutes an unacceptable interference in the institutional autonomy of the A.B.A. and raises serious concerns about the safeguarding of the democratic rule of law in Angola. The holding of public and plural debates on legislative matters of national interest – such as the electoral process – is not only legitimate but also represents the fulfillment of one of the noblest roles of Bar Associations: to promote legal citizenship and contribute to the improvement of the democratic system,” reads the document signed by Cape Verde’s Bar President, Júlio Martins Júnior.
Likewise, the Bar Association of Guinea-Bissau issued a note of repudiation stating that the “mentioned court decision constitutes a blatant violation of the statutes of the A.B.A., undermining its autonomy, freedom, and crucial constitutional, legal, and statutory mission.”
According to the Angolan Bar Association, in a statement, the decision “is a serious matter, a direct attack on the institutional autonomy of the A.B.A., an assault on fundamental freedoms enshrined in the Constitution, and a heavy blow to democratic law.”
According to the lawyers, the injunction that led to the suspension of the event was decided in approximately 24 hours, “revealing that procedural speed is, in fact, possible when desired.” In the same statement, they called on “all lawyers in the country to unite around their institution, whose strength lies in the cohesion of the profession and the respect for its public function. Free and independent advocacy is the last stronghold for the defense of rights and democracy – and when it is attacked, society itself is at risk.”
Source: Correio da Kianda
