47 new magistrates join Judiciary

Chief Justice David Maraga has urged newly sworn-in magistrates to serve with honesty and integrity in order to create confidence in the courts.nnSpeaking during the swearing-in ceremony of 47 newly recruited magistrates, the Chief Justice said the magistracy is a high calling that is laden with responsibility that should be seen from the judgments written by the judicial officers.nnThe Chief Justice warned that the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) will not hesitate to take action against any magistrate who is involved in corruption.nn“The Judiciary does not condone corruption, we cannot fight corruption if we are abetting corruption among ourselves,” said Maraga.nnThe Chief Justice cited recent criticism against the Judiciary in regard to the war against corruption saying that the magistrates will only be respected by litigants and advocates if they avoided any unbecoming conduct that will tarnish the reputation of the courts.nnThe Chief Justice advised the newly recruited officers to ensure that they prepare adequately before embarking on a case so that they make informed determinations of the issues before them. He told them to familiarize with the Judiciary blueprint, Sustaining Judiciary Transformation, and internalize its pillars in order to work towards achieving the laid out goals and objectives.nnMaraga also warned the magistrates against entertaining frivolous adjournments terming them as the main contributor towards case backlog.nn“We cannot afford to continue allowing unnecessary adjournments, we must be firm and ensure that cases progress,” he said.nnThe Chief Justice asked the magistrates to also familiarize with Bail and Bond and the Sentencing Policies to ensure that they act within the set guidelines.nnOthers who spoke during the event are Judiciary Training Institute (JTI) Director, Justice Kathurima M’Inoti and Deputy Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Paul Maina.nn nn