Lawyer sue CJ, JSC want them release calendar for judges and magistrates’ colloquium for the year

Law society of Kenya Council Member lawyer Kipkoech Bernhard Ng’etich left and his Counterpart Peter Okiro after filling a petition against CJ Maraga and the judicial Service Commission at a Nakuru Court on January 22,2019. He blames the respondents for poor planning ,preparation and co ordination of the calender for the Judges and Magistrates. [Photo: Harun Wathari/Standard]

A lawyer has sued Chief Justice David Maraga and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) for poor planning, preparation, circulation and coordination of the judicial calendar.

Lawyer Odira Elvis Nanda, in a petition filed at the High Court in Nakuru yesterday, said the CJ and JSC have failed to coordinate, plan and prepare judges and magistrate’s colloquium, workshops, seminars, training and judicial service weeks.

Through his lawyer Kipkoech Ng’etich, Mr Nanda (pictured) said poor planning had led to an increase in the backlog of cases.

He said courts were fixing trial dates without considering dates when judges and magistrates would be out of their stations for seminars and or trainings.

He wants the CJ and JSC compelled to release the calendar for colloquium, workshops, seminars, training and the judicial service week.

“The petitioner is apprehensive that the dates being fixed will be underhandedly disrupted at the expense of petitioner, his clients and other litigants right to fair hearing,” reads the petition.

The Judiciary, he said, was fond of issuing short notices, as short as three days, leading to adjournment of diarised matters scheduled months or years later