Koome pushes for stronger judiciary-public legal engagement

Chief Justice (CJ) Martha Koome has challenged members of the Judiciary to deliberately engage the public not only through judgments delivered in courtrooms but also through books, scholarship, memoirs, reflections, and intellectual discourse.

The Chief Justice noted that legal scholarship demystifies the law and expands judicial literacy among citizens.

Through books and public conversations, she said, the judiciary becomes more accessible to the public, enabling citizens to understand not only court decisions but also the ideas, philosophies, and constitutional values that inform judicial decision-making.

The CJ, at the same time, urged judges and judicial officials to embrace the culture of continuous reading, research, writing, and reflection so as to be better equipped to deliver justice that is principled, innovative, and responsive to the life realities of the people.

CJ Koome underscored the need to institutionalize such initiatives while sustaining support for research, writing, publication, and knowledge sharing within the Judiciary.

Speaking at the inaugural Judges’ Book Fair, themed ‘Bench Scholarship and Jurisprudential Ferment: A Symbiosis’ held at the Kenya National Library Services (KNLS) in Nairobi, CJ Koome said the initiatives strengthen not only judicial capacity but also public confidence in the Judiciary as an institution committed to learning, reflection, and continuous improvement.

The CJ noted that the Book Fair aligns with the Judiciary’s Social Transformation through Access to Justice (STAJ) blueprint, which envisions a people-centered Judiciary that is accessible, responsive, and intellectually grounded.

“For the first time in our judiciary’s history, we are deliberately creating a platform where judges and judicial officers can engage the public not only through judgments delivered in courtrooms but also through books, scholarship, memoirs, reflections, and intellectual discourse,” the CJ said.

She added: “In doing so, we affirm an important truth: that judges are not merely adjudicators of disputes; they are also custodians of ideas, interrogators of the country’s social conditions, and contributors to the development of legal thought and democratic governance.

The Chief Justice said publications by judges and judicial officers, spanning constitutional law, land law, succession, criminal procedure, labor law, intellectual property, data protection, children’s rights, bioethics, judicial memoirs, and access to justice, demonstrate that the Kenyan Judiciary is not only deciding cases but also actively shaping legal knowledge and contributing to national and global conversations on justice and governance.

Kenya Judiciary Academy Director General and Supreme Court Judge, Dr Smokin Wanjala said the Constitution envisions a Judiciary that is not only independent but also intellectually vibrant and responsive to the evolving needs of society.

He noted that judges and judicial officers do not only speak through their judgments but also shape legal thought through research and writing.

Dr. Wanjala said the Book Fair reflects the judiciary’s enduring commitment to intellectual growth and meaningful public engagement.

The Director General said the Book Fair is anchored on the idea that the Judiciary is not merely an arbiter of disputes but also a vital generator, curator, and custodian of knowledge.

“The Judges’ Book Fair is more than an exhibition of books; it is a statement of institutional identity and aspiration. It affirms that a learned judiciary is the cornerstone of a just society and reinforces the Academy’s commitment to continuous learning, intellectual engagement, and public outreach, thereby giving life to the transformative vision of the Constitution and the STAJ Blueprint,” Justice Wanjala said.

Law Society of Kenya President Senior Counsel Charles Kanjama said the society is keen to ensure the publications reach its members, noting that lawyers are among the primary consumers of such works.

As we write more, we need to ensure they are read more. We undertake to partner with the judiciary in disseminating the information. It is only then that we shall have a more perfect justice,” Senior Counsel Kanjama said.

By Joseph Ng’ang’a