LSK ordered not to force members’ contribution
High Court Judge Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi on Friday issued an order to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) not to peg the issuance of advocates practicing license on the member’s contribution towards the construction of the LSK’s planned International Arbitration Centre in Nairobi.
Justice Mumbi, sitting at the Milimani Law Courts, said it was unfair for LSK to force members to pay the money for them to receive certificates.
She, however, noted that those willing to pay should continue doing so. Justice Mumbi also gave LSK 14 days to provide information on the project, and directed the society not to implement any deliberations reached at the special general meeting.
Justice Mumbi also gave LSK members 60 days to arbitrate on the matter. About 1,000 lawyers filed a case in court claiming that LSK had called a special general meeting on September 27, 2014 without following the right procedures and passed a resolution that all members should pay money to finance the construction of the centre.
The petitioners, through lawyer Duncan Anzala, said the resolutions of the meeting were forced on the members since they were not consulted and did not approve the deliberations that demand lawyers to pay the money in three installments before getting a practicing license for 2015.
LSK has already collected Sh17 million from its members for the project.