NAIROBI, Kenya, July 21 – As the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) prepares for a nationwide court boycott on Wednesday, city lawyer Peter Wanyama has urged the Society to complement its campaign against judicial corruption with tougher action against rogue advocates accused of undermining the integrity of the legal profession.

📻 Breaking It Down

The LSK has called a one-day nationwide boycott of court proceedings, alongside an indefinite targeted boycott of judicial officers who have obtained court orders restraining the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) from pursuing misconduct complaints against them.

The planned action has already drawn opposition from both the Judiciary and the Kenya Magistrates and Judges Association (KMJA), which have urged the Society to pursue dialogue instead, warning that the boycott will primarily hurt litigants awaiting the determination of their cases.

KMJA appeals to LSK to reconsider court boycott, cites harm to litigants

📌 What You Need to Know

Judiciary rejects LSK boycott, says all courts will sit as scheduled on Wednesday

While supporting the push for greater judicial accountability, Wanyama argued that corruption within the justice system cannot be addressed by focusing exclusively on judges.

“The Law Society of Kenya has taken a bold and commendable step to call for judicial accountability. Corruption is undoubtedly a major malaise that has slowly eroded trust in our judicial system, and it must be addressed,” he said.

“But can corruption in the Judiciary exist without the participation of lawyers?”

Wanyama questioned whether the Society should also scrutinise advocates who represent judges challenging disciplinary proceedings before the courts.

“If it is wrong for a judge to obtain orders stopping a JSC inquiry, should the LSK also publish a list of lawyers who accept instructions to represent those judges?” he posed.

📰 Source: Capital FM Kenya