Supreme Court bans Ahmednasir Abdullahi for attacking judges, judiciary

 

Lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi. [George Njunge, Standard]

Supreme Court has banned Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi from appearing before it over his consistent and unfounded attacks on judges and the judiciary.

Abdullahi, who has represented high-profile clients in various cases, has been accused of running a smear campaign against the highest court in the land and the seven-judge bench that sits on it for years, through relentless accusations of corruption and incompetence.

In a letter dated on Thursday, January 18, and addressed to the lawyer, the court barred employees of Ahmednasir’s law firm from filing cases before it, while acknowledging that the decision will also affect the vocal advocate’s client list and their respective cases.

“It is the decision of this Court, that henceforth and from the date of this Communication, you shall have no audience before the Court, either by yourself, through an employee of your law firm, or any other person holding brief for you, or acting pursuant to your instructions,” read the letter.

“Much as this decision is bound to affect those who may have instructed you to represent them before the Court, it is untenable that you would seek justice in the very institution and before the very Judges, whose reputation and integrity you never tire in assaulting.”

The court stated that it had exercised restraint over the years, despite the damage to the reputation of the institution and the judges who serve on it, and had even cautioned Ahmednasir in a 2018 ruling that his conduct would not go unpunished in the future.

However, the court said that the lawyer had ignored the warning and persisted in his unsubstantiated and virulent attacks against the leadership and membership of the court, even as he continued to file cases in the very institution and appear before the very judges he daily accused of corruption and incompetence.

“The insensitivity and abusive arrogance you continue to display against the Court in your frequent media postings, cannot be said to be animated by your quest for Justice. Ironically, even as you persist in your attacks against the Court, you do not see any contradiction in filing cases in the very institution and appearing before the very Judges you daily accuse of corruption and incompetence,” the letter added.

In his response, Abdullahi took to X platform to term the ban against him and his law firm, at large, as “a badge of honour.”

He further went ahead to blast the Supreme Court as being “corrupt,” an allegation that largely contributed to his blacklisting.

“Isn’t it a badge of honour for the most corrupt court in Kenya to refuse me and my law firm an audience?” he said.