The Judiciary has announced that all courts across Kenya will continue operating normally on Wednesday, July 22, despite the Law Society of Kenya’s (LSK) planned boycott of court proceedings.
The assurance comes after LSK announced that advocates would stop appearing before judges who have obtained court orders preventing the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) or the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) from investigating complaints of misconduct and corruption.
LSK said the boycott would begin on Wednesday and later expand into an indefinite refusal by lawyers to appear before the affected judges. The move is expected to impact proceedings in several courts, including the Supreme Court.
The lawyers’ body said the action was prompted by unresolved concerns over judicial accountability, integrity and delays affecting the administration of justice.
“The Judiciary does not consider a boycott of court proceedings to be an appropriate or proportionate response to the concerns raised. Such action would primarily prejudice litigants and other court users whose matters are scheduled for hearing and determination,” the Judiciary said.
LSK has maintained that complaints submitted to the JSC must be handled in a manner that is timely, transparent and fair to strengthen accountability within the Judiciary and maintain public confidence.
The society also cited several concerns behind the planned boycott, including delayed delivery of rulings, case backlogs, registry challenges, disruptions to the e-filing system, delays in releasing court-held funds and what it described as poor treatment of advocates by some court officials.
In response, the Judiciary urged litigants, advocates and members of the public to attend court as scheduled, assuring them that judicial services would continue without interruption.
The Judiciary also encouraged LSK to address its concerns through dialogue, noting that the two institutions have held at least five consultative meetings over the past two years, with another engagement planned for July 31.
The Judiciary further reminded the public that judges and judicial officers are protected under Article 160 of the Constitution, which guarantees judicial independence and prevents external interference in decision-making.
On matters of accountability, the Judiciary said complaints against judges and judicial officers should be submitted to the Judicial Service Commission or the Office of the Judiciary Ombudsman for investigation and appropriate action under the law.
The disagreement between the two institutions comes amid wider debates over judicial accountability, independence and reforms aimed at improving the administration of justice in Kenya.