At least 20 lawyers have been struct off from advocates roll after being found of misconduct by Advocates Complaint Commission, it has emerged.
Principal State Council Christine Siranga on Thursday said the cases were handled within two years since 2017. Within the same period, the commission also suspended 33 advocates.
The cases, she said, ranged from inability for the advocates to share money with their clients to general mishandling of the matter. They can however appeal.
“Most of the complaints involve withholding of funds, failure to account and failure to render professional services. About 70 per cent of the complaints involve the three offences,” said Ms Siranga.
An advocate is a legal graduate who formally gets a Diploma from Kenya School of Law. He/she is allowed to represent a client in a court of law, a task which a lawyer cannot do.
According to Siranga, the commission received feedback from several counties during public sensitisation exercises. She said Kenyans should work closely with Law Society of Kenya to handle such cases of misconduct by the lawyers.
“At the LSK website you will be able to know whether the lawyer you are engaging is fake, inactive, struck off, suspended or active so as to avoid being conned. Also when you feel dissatisfied with the lawyer’s conduct report to the commission,” she advised the villagers.
Last week, lawyers elected Mr Njeru Macharia to Judicial Service Commission as male representative. The commission recruits and sacks judges.