Post more judges or we boycott court, lawyers in Meru tell CJ
Meru LSK Chapter Chairman Ken Muriuki speaks to journalists outside the Meru Law Courts on November 21, 2016. The lawyers gave Chief Justice David Maraga two weeks to post more judges in Meru, threatening to boycott court proceedings if this does not happen. PHOTO | PHOEBE OKALL | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mr Ken Muriuki says there is an urgent need to speed up justice for litigants and clear a backlog cases in Meru.
- Land cases are heard by Justice Peter Njoroge who also handles cases from five counties in the upper eastern region.
- Early November, the JSC recommended the appointment of 28 judges.
- The judges are scheduled to be sworn in on December 2, 2016.
Lawyers working in Meru have issued a two-week ultimatum to Chief Justice David Maraga to post more judges to the Meru station, failure to which they say they will boycott court proceedings.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Meru chapter has accused the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) of failing to replace retired judges.
They also want more judges posted to the Criminal, Environment and Lands division.
LSK Chairman Ken Muriuki said at a press conference that there is an urgent need to speed up justice for litigants and clear a backlog cases in the station that has only three judges.
The lawyers petitioned the CJ and the JSC to post two Judges in the lands court and also send a replacement of High Court Judge Muga Apondi who was sacked by the Judges and Magistrates Vetting Board in January 2013 after he was found unfit to hold office.
“Meru has been a victim of inequitable distribution of judicial officers.
“Prior to the retirement of Justice Apondi, we had three High Court judges but as of now we only have two.
“We feel that Meru has been treated subserviently because almost all other stations get immediate replacements once judges are transferred or removed,” said Mr Muriuki.
LAND CASES
Land cases are heard by Justice Peter Njoroge who also handles cases from five counties in the upper eastern region.
The lawyers also want judges posted to the Employment and Labour Relations court to clear over 50,000 pending cases.
“We have raised this issue with the CJ’s office and other authorities but we were advised to wait for the appointment of the new judges, and now that the said appointment has been done, we demand that we get additional judges forthwith.
“We wish to inform the Chief Justice and other concerned authorities that if our demands are not met, we shall boycott all proceedings in Meru courts and its environs besides declining to take up cases in the High Court and Court of Appeal,” Mr Muriuki said.
Early November, the JSC recommended the appointment of 28 judges.
Nine of the judges are to be appointed to the position of judge of the High Court while 19 are expected to join the Environment and Land Court.
The judges are scheduled to be sworn in on December 2, 2016.
