Stand-off over judge in Meru only hurts litigants

It is unfortunate that the standoff over the posting of a judge to Meru is threatening to paralyse the dispensing of justice in that station.

What started off as a protest at the transfer of Justice Murugi Mugo from Nakuru to Meru has balooned into a mini crisis. On Tuesday, the boycotting lawyers — who say it is difficult to work with the soft spoken Lady Justice — returned more than 100 files for murder cases as their boycott entered its eleventh day. Last week, the lawyers declined an invite to a meeting with an emissary of Chief Justice Evan Gicheru.

The boycotting lawyers and the Chief Justice need to remember that it is litigants who are bearing the brunt of this stand-off. Even without such unnecessary hitches, our courts have a huge backlog of cases due to shortage of staff and other factors.

The matter needs to be given the attention that it deserves for court proceedings to get back on track because when justice is delayed, it is deemed as denied.

Resolving the matter

It was Nakuru lawyers who first protested against Justice Mugo, claiming she was high handed. The onus is on the Chief Justice to listen to the grievances of the lawyers with a view to resolving the matter.

We, however, fault the Meru lawyers for snubbing a meeting of the Chief Justice’s emissary. That Law Society of Kenya chairman Okong’o Omogeni will be going to Meru to try and resolve the matter is good news. Let reason prevail.