Maraga targets lawyers in move to clear backlogs
What you need to know:
- The lawyers through their spokesman Chege Gakuhi presented a petition to the CJ seeking for the introduction of the Nyahururu High Court to reduce the distance covered to Nakuru by litigants.
- The CJ said a judge will be posted to Nyandarua County and will be based in Nyahururu until court buildings in Ol Kalou town, Nyandarua, are completed within the next 18 months.
Chief Justice David Maraga has assured that civil cases pending for over five years will be concluded by next year.
Justice Maraga said that the Judiciary is committed to clear all case backlogs and reduce the duration of court proceedings to about two years.
While addressing Nyahururu based lawyers at the the Nyahururu law courts on Saturday, the Chief Justice said that conclusion of those cases will also revolutionise the economy.
The CJ appealed to lawyers to avoid unnecessary applications to speed up delivery of justice to litigants.
He regretted that some of the litigants with cases lasting over ten years had even died while others lost interest in the cases without getting justice.
Justice Maraga at the same time noted that the Judiciary is automating its proceedings to streamline delivery of justice.
"Kenya is one of the few countries that have not automated court proceedings despite having a stronger economy as compared to others in the region,” he noted.
He added that the automation will guard against disappearance of important documents and other files.
He urged lawyers to embrace their professional code of dressing as means of putting off imposters.
“Do not complain when you are sent away for not wearing your robe. The dress code will help us eliminate imposters in the judicial system,” added the CJ.
He revealed that the Judiciary had a shortage of judges but said 19 of them will soon be sworn in by President Uhuru Kenyatta to address the shortage.
The lawyers through their spokesman Chege Gakuhi presented a petition to the CJ seeking for the introduction of the Nyahururu High Court to reduce the distance covered to Nakuru by litigants.
The CJ said a judge will be posted to Nyandarua County and will be based in Nyahururu until court buildings in Ol Kalou town, Nyandarua, are completed within the next 18 months.
He added that every County will have a judge to deal with expected election petitions in the 2017 general election.
