LSK and Senior Counsel Bar (SCB) Joint Statement on the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025

By Bruno Aero
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Senior Counsel Bar (SCB) have issued a joint statement expressing concerns over the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025. The proposed bill seeks to amend Section 17 of the Advocates Act, which governs the conferment of the rank and dignity of Senior Counsel.The key concerns were brought foword

1. Vesting Discretionary Authority in the President The bill proposes to grant the President exclusive discretionary authority to confer the rank of Senior Counsel on certain advocates in public and political office, without reference to the Committee on Senior Counsel.
2. Undermining the Committee on Senior Counsel The proposed amendment undermines the role of the Committee on Senior Counsel, which is responsible for recommending candidates for the rank of Senior Counsel.
3. Creating Two Classes of Senior Counsel The bill may create two classes of Senior Counsel, one appointed by the President and the other through peer review within the legal profession.

The LSK and SCB urge Hon. George Gitonga Murugara, the sponsor of the bill, to unconditionally withdraw the bill. They argue that the purely professional enterprise of conferment of the rank of Senior Counsel should be left to the exclusive professional process contemplated in law

The LSK and SCB propose that any necessary changes to the conferment process should be undertaken through a comprehensive review of statutes affecting legal practice in Kenya, which is currently underway. The review will involve public participation, and proposals will be submitted to Parliament for consideration.

The LSK and SCB emphasize that the Senior Counsel Conferment Committee is fully constituted and will shortly embark on the next conferment process for Senior Counsel. They invite Hon. Murugara and all advocates who are members of Parliament or the Senate to make their views known on the matter.

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