LSK faults the Judiciary for sluggish systems as it launches task force
In a candid and uncompromising keynote address, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo officially launched the Taskforce on Efficiency and Ethics in the Judiciary and Various Registries, vowing to restore public confidence in Kenya’s justice system.
Addressing the launch on Monday, June 16, 2025, in Nairobi, Odhiambo declared the moment a clarion call to accountability, introspection, and collective reform urging all arms of the legal and judicial community to confront systemic failures and rampant ethical lapses.
“This is not merely the unveiling of another committee — it is a clarion call to accountability,” she said. “We gather here today not to state the obvious, but to act on it.”
Citing widespread frustrations within the legal fraternity and among the public, Odhiambo lamented how inefficiencies and ethical shortcomings have deeply eroded trust in judicial processes.
“If I had a shilling for every time an advocate complained about a registry misplacing a file, or a client asked, ‘Why is my case taking six years?’, I’d have funded the construction of the LSK Tower myself,” she said.
She condemned delays, lost files, and opaque court processes, calling them symptoms of deeper institutional rot. “Justice delayed is justice denied. And I dare add — justice compromised by unethical conduct is justice corrupted,” Odhiambo stated.
Taskforce with teeth
Unlike past efforts that produced “beautiful reports that sit on shelves gathering dust,” Odhiambo insisted this task force has a clear, results-oriented mandate.
“This task force has real teeth, and we expect it to bite — not just bark,” she warned.
Among its responsibilities are: Auditing registry and judicial inefficiencies, investigating corruption, bribery, and conflicts of interest, evaluating and improving digital systems like e-filing, Producing monthly progress reports, and engaging court users, registry officials, advocates, and the public.
“This is not a group of note-takers. This is a team of change-makers,” she declared, adding that the team is expected to benchmark against international best practices and avoid cosmetic or symbolic reforms.
Ethics at the core
Addressing a culture of bribery and negligence, Odhiambo made it clear that ethics are not abstract ideals but operational imperatives.
“When a court clerk accepts a bribe to ‘fast-track’ a file, someone else’s justice is delayed,” she emphasized. “When a judicial officer is compromised, the scales of justice do not merely tilt — they break.”
Partnership, not antagonism
In a gesture of collaboration, Odhiambo underscored that the Judiciary is not the enemy, but a partner.
“We are not here to antagonise, but to collaborate,” she said. “We are not here to point fingers, but to offer helping hands.”
Acknowledging the resource constraints under which judicial officers operate, she nonetheless insisted professionalism must not be the first casualty of system strain.
Odhiambo expanded the scope of reform beyond just courts and registries, highlighting broader systemic issues.
She said the Criminal Justice System has come under serious scrutiny citing cases of arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and weak investigations that collapse in court due to lack of evidence.
“Before a case gets to court, the process of gathering evidence and preparing for trial is crucial. When the Police or Independent Policing Oversight Authority bungles an investigation, who follows up? What happens to the affected victims?”
She emphasized the need for holistic reform at the same time urging the public to be open and engage in order to materialize the common goal.
“We must restore sanity within the entire justice system. Let us not shout ‘justice’ in the courtrooms and then whisper ‘shortcuts’ in the corridors,” she alarmed.
“This is not an inquisition. It is an opportunity… to restore pride in public service. Tell us your stories. Hold us all accountable. Because in the end, a justice system is only as strong as the faith people have in it.”
Odhiambo exudes a mixture of optimism and resolve.
“Let the word go forth: the Law Society of Kenya is committed to restoring confidence in our justice system. Not through slogans, but through substance. Not by complaint, but by action.”
