Judge orders audit on lawyers’ exam failures at Kenya School of Law

The High Court has ordered immediate audit as to why a large number of lawyers are failing bar examination.

The number of lawyers passing examinations at the Kenya School of Law (KSL) has been dropping over the years.

Friday, Justice John Mativo observed that it is either that the quality of education offered at the law school is poor or the law degrees offered by the universities are wanting.

“I express my concern over the numerous cases being filed in this court by KSL students. For several years now, there has been a worrying drop in the percentage of candidates passing the examinations at the KSL. This is a worrying trend,” the judge said.

The High Court is flooded by cases filed by students challenging decisions by the Council of Legal Education (CLE) and KSL, including sitting for an examination before admission for diploma in law.

“The magnitude of the problem is evidenced by the fact that this court has been flooded by petitions filed by students challenging various decisions made by the CLE and the KSL. Many of these petitions are triggered by failure to pass the examinations while others touch of admissions to the KSL,” the judge ruled.

Every week, two or three cases are filed by law students at the High Court.  “I proposed as I hereby do, that a study be urgently undertaken,” the judge ruled.

The judge made the remarks in a case filed by two students who want the court to force KSL to allow them re-sit the examinations they failed.