Chief Justice David Maraga warns lawyers against bribing judges and magistrates

Chief Justice David Maraga (right) address members of the Judiciary during a Tribute Court Session for the late Chief Justice Majid Cocker at the Judiciary offices Nairobi on 21/11/16 [PHOTO: MOSES OMUSULA/Standard]

Chief Justice David Maraga has warned lawyers against bribing judges and magistrates to get favourable decisions.

Maraga said the public should not only accuse judicial officers of being corrupt but also lawyers who have been acting as conduits in passing the money.

"Lawyers must not believe that judicial officers must be bribed as a short-cut to winning cases for their clients. In such cases, both the lawyer bribing the judicial officer and the person receiving it are guilty in the same breath," he said.

Justice Maraga spoke while presiding over the admission of 125 new lawyers to the roll of advocates. He noted that cleaning the Judiciary remained his priority and warned that he would not spare anyone found engaging in corruption. He said the time of "lawyers for hire and judges for sale" was over.

According to the CJ, the legal system had become corrupt for being profit-driven. He added that lawyers should start taking action against members who bribe judicial officers instead of waiting for them to do the clean-up.

"Judicial integrity and the fight against judicial corruption is at the top of my priorities, Kenyans must have faith in the Judiciary as the first and last call for justice whenever there are disputes between them or with the State," said Maraga.