Chief Justice Martha Koome has shared the details of the Judiciary Leadership Team Friday, March 21, 20925, meeting with the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Council & Joint Caucus.
Koome disclosed that the first joint gathering between the two legal entities was focused on improving efficiency, embracing digitisation, and safeguarding integrity.
In a statement dated Friday, March 21, 2025, Koome said that the bench and the bar, remain aligned on critical issues around boosting court efficiency to integrating cutting-edge technology in judicial matters.
Upholding standard
The CJ also noted several problems facing the judiciary, stressing their openness to a collaborative approach towards addressing and finding relevant solutions.
“In this important joint engagement, we committed to upholding ethical standards, streamlining court processes, and resolving persistent barriers to justice. Collaboration like this is key to building trust and delivering efficient, accessible justice for all. Our aim is to continue engaging constructively to ensure that every issue affecting access to justice is comprehensively addressed,” the statement read.
During the meeting, the judiciary also received a report detailing the challenges facing courts in the country from the lawyers’ body.
The judiciary highlighted its engagement with other arms of government such as the national assembly, through relevant committees, to the endemic in courts across the nation.
Challenges in courts
“We also received a Memorandum by the LSK Caucus detailing challenges that persist in courts across the country. Our undertaking is that all these issues will be systematically addressed. Given the dire underfunding of the Judiciary, our collective resolve is to continue engaging with the National Assembly through the connected Committees to facilitate adequate financing to the Judiciary and justice sector so that issues of human resource shortage and workplace tools and environment can be addressed holistically,” their statement concluded.
The CJ’s comments come after the lawyers’ body raised concerns regarding the manner in which the allegations raised against seven of the Supreme Court judges have been handled.
Seven Supreme Court judges are currently facing petitions seeking to remove them from office over gross misconduct and incompetence.
This follows a petition filed by several petitioners including lawyers Nelson Havi, and Raphael Tuju among others.
In a statement on February, 26, Faith Odhiambo LSK called for an expeditious hearing of the petitions to ascertain their veracity and alleviate the growing apprehension that the apex Court is bereft of credibility.
“We appreciate that the petitions before the JSC raise serious concerns that touch on the Supreme Court’s competence and ability to act as a dependable, neutral, and independent arbiter in the administration of justice.
“It is therefore important that the petitions are determined expeditiously to ascertain their veracity and alleviate the growing apprehension that the apex Court is bereft of credibility. Failure to resolve this matter with the requisite efficiency is likely to undermine public trust in the integrity of the process and the legitimacy of its outcomes,” the LSK statement read.
