Supreme Court judge honoured by EA lawyers

By KURIAN MUSA

Supreme Court judge Jacton Boma Ojwang is the winner of this year’s East Africa Law Society Senior Lawyer of the Year Award.

The judge was honoured in recognition of his professional achievement and for his distinguished academic career.

Ojwang was congratulated by, among others, Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, his colleague at the Supreme Court.

“The award is great honour to Kenyan Judiciary and a good sign that we are headed in the right direction. It is an honour to the Supreme Court and the Judiciary,” said Mutunga.

Ojwang thanked the CJ for being supportive and revealed they had good relations, dating back to when they taught law together at the University of Nairobi in 1976.

In the citation for the award, Justice Ojwang was lauded for extraordinarily serving the academia, the legal profession and the bench.

Ojwang received accolades for making landmark rulings.

“Ojwang has adjudicated a good variety of cases, and rendered comprehensive judgements that set jurisprudential directions, especially in criminal law, civil law, constitutional and administrative law, probate and administration of estates and admirality law,” the citation reads.

Justice Ojwang joined the Judiciary as a High Court judge in October, 2003 served for six years in Nairobi and two years in Mombasa. He was reputed for making landmark determinations.

 “I miss the High Court. It is where there is unlimited jurisdiction to determine various matters. But, I love and enjoy being at the Supreme Court too,” said Justice Ojwang.

He said he enjoyed doing his work but did not realise there were people who recognised his work to be good.

He holds a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) from Cambridge University. 

“I loved research and scholarship and that is why Professor Ivan Martin asked to publish my article on Polygamy and law in the East African law journal of 1974.”