The GCI Public Interest Litigation Programme provides crucial litigation and advocacy support to local legal services and public interest law programs throughout Cameroon. The programme particularly provides legal and research services on behalf of consumer interests, and, in particular, vulnerable consumer interests, concerning the provision of important public services such as homes, Medicare, water, electricity and a healthy environment.
The programme tries to bring affordable housing to lower income families and homeless people, provides access to effective and efficient public services and utilities, and ensure public benefits for lower income and other disadvantaged persons and protect neglected and abused victims.
GCI uses public interest litigation and advocacy strategies to achieve this goals.
PILP's mandate therefore includes:
- Investigating and reporting on policies that are not adequately serving the public interest.
- Intervening in, or instituting proceedings before, any rulemaking, adjudication or permitting process conducted by a State department, commission, agency or board.
- Instituting litigation on behalf of a broad public interest when authorized to do so by the Public Advocate. This may include litigation to protect consumers, the indigent, the elderly, senior citizens, or people with disabilities, mental illness, or developmental disabilities.
Public Interest Litigation:
GCI presently has two complaints registered in the Department of public prosecution in Kumba against some government services for alleged corrupt acts, undue demands and indulgence
The first is a complaint against the transport delegate for Meme Division and the Secretary General of the Kumba City Council (See a full report)
The second is a complaint against the Kumba District Hospital for charging more than the face values for medical and medico-legal certificates and issuing no receipts for the extra amounts that stand far above the price printed on the certificates. (Read our report on the medical certificates)
