A total of 61 lawyers were on Thursday admitted to the bar at a function presided over by the Chief Justice, David Maraga.
Maraga advised the graduates to always prepare for their cases before drawing any pleadings to reduce the adjourning of cases.
“When it comes to hearing of cases, always come fully prepared. Lack of preparation makes lawyers to look for ways of postponing cases,” he said.
Maraga congratulated the graduates for their hard work, urging them to have a virtue of humility, honesty and always be courteous towards their colleagues.
The president of the Law Society of Kenya, Allen Waiyaki Gichuhi advised the graduates to uphold the rule of law and the Constitution.
“Decorum and respect for one another has been lost for a couple of years therefore I call upon the graduates to always maintain it in their practice,” Gichuhi said.
He also said that the Law Society of Kenya is looking into ways of restoring the glory and dignity of the profession, citing instances where advocates have attacked the bench needlessly which must stop.
“We are going to come up with a draft that will ensure the dignity of the profession is maintained,” he said.
The LSK has set up a committee to look into the mass examination failure of students undertaking the Advocates Training Programme (ATP) which is in line with the judgment that was ruled last year by the Justice John Mativo who ordered for an audit into the large numbers of lawyers failing the bar examination.
Gichuhi said “A committee was launched last year to check the progress of the study and profession. The Law Society of Kenya is looking forward to break up the School of Law and have other schools offer the bar exam.”
“Law is not supposed to be failed. It is supposed to be passed,” he added.
According to report by the Kenya School of Law (KSL), 80 percent of students who sat for their bar exams in 2018 recorded a fail, reviving the debate on mass failures of students in KSL bar exams.
By Babra Adhiambo/Charles Kirundi/Joseph Ng’ang’a
