The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has decided to maintain its targeted court boycott of specified judges and judicial officers. This decision comes as several commitments agreed upon during a July engagement with the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) remain unimplemented. LSK President Charles Kanjama stated that advocates should continue to refrain from appearing before judges and judicial officers identified under the targeted boycott until further communication from the Society.
The boycott was initially agreed upon following a strategic engagement held on July 31, 2026, between the JSC, the LSK Council, and the Senior Counsel Bar. This engagement produced a framework covering judicial performance reporting, complaints handling, pending petitions, court-station integrity committees, disciplinary regulations, and the relationship between judicial independence and institutional accountability. The LSK had written to the JSC chairperson on September 23, seeking an update on the implementation of these resolutions.
According to Kanjama, the LSK has received the names of representatives from the JSC and Judiciary who are expected to sit on the Joint Committee established under the agreed framework. However, the committee has yet to be formally constituted and convened. The LSK president emphasized that this committee will serve as an institutional mechanism for monitoring the implementation of the July 31 resolutions, reviewing progress, and addressing emerging concerns.
One of the key areas of concern for the LSK is the delay in publishing judicial performance reports. The Judiciary had agreed to publish institutional and court-level performance reports within 30 days, but this deadline has not been met. Kanjama expressed disappointment that no communication or explanation has been provided regarding the delay or the status of the verification process necessary for the release of individual judicial performance information.
The LSK is also awaiting confirmation of the operational status of an electronic complaints system agreed upon by the parties. The system was supposed to be implemented within approximately sixty days, but advocates and the Society are yet to receive feedback on its status and modalities for access. Furthermore, the LSK is seeking substantive feedback on long-pending petitions and complaints before the JSC, including matters linked to the targeted boycott.
Kanjama highlighted that the LSK demands clarity on the status of all outstanding matters and immediate steps to conclude those that remain pending, with outcomes formally communicated to affected parties and the Society. Additionally, the Society is yet to receive consolidated contact details for Integrity Committees established at court stations, as agreed during the July engagement. The LSK is also seeking access to the draft Judicial Service Commission Disciplinary Process Regulations.
Despite maintaining the targeted boycott, the LSK will continue engaging with the JSC and Judiciary. The Society remains committed to developing a framework clarifying the relationship between judicial decisional independence and institutional accountability. Kanjama urged LSK branches and members to continue documenting concerns relating to the administration of justice and directed members to comply with the boycott and any subsequent operational guidance issued by the Society.
Key points
- The Law Society of Kenya maintains a targeted court boycott of specified judges and judicial officers due to delays in implementing key commitments agreed with the Judicial Service Commission.
- The boycott was initially agreed upon following a strategic engagement between the JSC, the LSK Council, and the Senior Counsel Bar on July 31, 2026.
- The LSK is seeking implementation of several commitments, including publication of judicial performance reports, operationalization of an electronic complaints system, and clarity on pending petitions and complaints.
