Judges resume work after month-long August break

Judges in Kenya resume work today (Monday) after a month-long break.

During the August vacation, a duty judge was stationed in every division to deal with urgent matters only.

“In court stations with a single judge, the matters emanating therefrom will be handled in the nearest High Court station where a recess duty judge is sitting which shall be indicated on the station’s notice board by the presiding judge of such single judge station,” a notice said.

During the recess, the judges held their annual colloquium themed ‘Balancing judicial independence and accountability’.

The four-day conference held in Mombasa was attended by judges of the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, High Court, Environment and Land Court as well as the Employment and Labour Relations Court.

Some of the topics discussed during the conference included balancing the scales of justice, judicial independence, accountability and integrity in the changing face of Kenya, global warming and climate change, emerging jurisprudence, and a critique of the judicial approach on sexual offences and the age of consent.

The conference was disrupted for a few minutes on the opening day by placard-waving demonstrators who later dispersed quietly.

Some of the major cases expected to be heard before judges break for the December vacation is the trial of Migori Governor Okoth Obado and two of his aides over the murder of Rongo University student Sharon Otieno, the trial of Joseph Irungu and Jacque Maribe who have denied killing Monica Kimani and the trial of five people, among them four police officers, who have been charged with killing lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and Joseph Muiruri, a taxi driver.

The judges usually go on recess in April, August and December.