Judiciary moves to boost lawyers' quality

The Judiciary will no longer absorb law graduates for pupillage starting January next year.

High Court Principal Judge Justice Richard Mwongo said law graduates undergoing training at the Kenya School of Law will no longer be accepted by the Judiciary and will instead be required to seek pupillage at law firms.

"Law graduates benefit more by learning the ropes of legal practice from established law firms compared to the Judiciary," Justice Mwongo said.

He said the Judiciary will no longer be pupil masters as a step towards improving the quality of lawyers admitted to the Bar.

He was speaking during the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) annual cocktail at a Nairobi hotel on Friday.

The mandatory 18-month advocates training programme at the Kenya School of Law before admission to the Bar entails 12 months in-house and six months of pupillage before sitting Bar examinations offered by the Council of Legal Education.

Law graduates undergo courses in civil litigation, criminal litigation, probate and administration, legal writing and drafting among others.

Although traditionally law firms have offered favourable grounds for graduates to learn their trade and master various aspects of jurisprudence, some opt for other legal institutions such as the Judiciary.

Competitive edge

Mwongo said such graduates lack a competitive edge compared to their peers who go to law firms.

"Young lawyers are more likely to learn pillars of the profession by spending their compulsory pupillage period under the watch of senior practicing lawyers," he said.

He cautioned lawyers violating legal ethics, including practicing without a practicing certificates (PCs), saying five election petitions were dismissed on grounds that lawyers representing the petitioners had no valid PCs.