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Judiciary now wants LSK, senior counsel bar to 'discipline' top lawyer Ahmednasir
The Judiciary now wants Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to take action against lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi over attacks directed at judges over alleged corruption.
In a statement, the Judiciary said the LSK as well as senior counsel bar where Mr Abdullahi is a member, should take measures that are within their respective mandates, to bring discipline and order among its members and also restore the dignity of the Bar and the legal profession.
Judiciary spokesperson Paul Ndemo said the ‘misdirected, callous, casual and reckless conduct’ makes them wonder what Mr Abdullahi’s agenda is.
Last week, the Judiciary asked the Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga to investigate Mr Abdullahi over the attacks, saying the pattern amounted to crime.
“We therefore reiterate our call to the Director of Public Prosecutions to take appropriate action within his constitutional mandate. We also urge the leadership of the Law Society of Kenya and the Senior Counsel Bar to take such measures as are within their respective mandates to bring discipline and order among its members and specifically SC Ahmednasir,” Mr Ndemo said.
Mr Ndemo said Mr Abdullahi had consistently disparaged the Judiciary, its leadership and judges with relentless but baseless claims of corruption.
The spokesperson said the Judiciary was open to scrutiny and willing to be held to account and has been urging persons with credible complaints of misconduct to present them for processing through appropriate channels.
The statement added that despite the attacks on social media, Mr Abdullahi has refused to name the concerned judges, or to table a formal complaint with evidence to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) or other law enforcement agencies.
“Despite these calls, SC Ahmednasir has resorted to a campaign to disparage the Judiciary, its leadership and senior judges without making any formal complaint, leading us to conclude that he does not have any credible information and is simply besmirching the reputation of the Judiciary and its leadership for his own undisclosed ends,” he said.
Mr Ndemo said Mr Abdullahi’s conduct was not only unbecoming and unprofessional of an advocate with the status of senior counsel, but potentially served to erode public confidence in the Judiciary and eventually undermine the rule of law.
“While we respect the freedom of speech which is constitutionally guaranteed, there are limits to this freedom, and it cannot be abused in a manner that stokes public mistrust in the judicial system,” Mr Ndemo said.
He added, “Free speech must be exercised responsibly. Kenya is greater than any single individual. No one is above the law. No one should be allowed to parade their impunity and mock the very Constitution that holds the fabric of this country together.”
