GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 6415

PURSUANT to section 53(9) of the Advocates Act and Rule 12 (1) of the Advocates (Complaints Commission) Rules, 1991, it is notified for general information that from 1st April, 2019 to 30th June, 2019, the Commission received a total of two hundred and thirty eight (238) new complaints and submitted them for enquiry under the Preliminary Enquiry Initiative. During the period under review, thirty nine (39) complaints were classified and files opened. The nature of new complaints classified is as shown below: - Nature of Complaints No. of Complaints (a) Failure to account 7 (b) Failure to render professional services 10 (c) Withholding funds 18 (d) Acting without Authority 1 (e) Failure to keep client informed 1 (f) Practising without a valid Certificate 1 (g) Failure to honour Professional Undertaking 1 Total 39 Complaints filed against advocates/firms of advocates were disposed off in the following manner during the period: - (i) Preliminary Enquiry (PE) Complaints Total number of complaints closed under the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) Initiative were two hundred and seventy two (272). (ii) Classified Complaints Total number of complaints finalised was twenty one (21) as follows: No. of Complaints (a) Abandoned 5 (b) Settled 11 (c) Rejected 3 (d) Advocate deceased 1 (e) Matters before disciplinary Tribunal 1 Total 21 Pursuant to section 53(4) and in the spirit of section 53(5) of the Advocates Act, forty three (43) complaints were settled amicably at the Advocates’ Complaints Commission. The matters referred to the Disciplinary Tribunal (DT) during the same period for further action and in accordance with section 60(1) of the Advocates Act were nil (0). During the same period, sixteen (16) complaints pending at the Disciplinary Tribunal were disposed of as follows: - No. of Complaints (a) Advocates suspended 1 (b) Settled (matters resolved) 12 (c) Withdrawn 1 (d) Advocate deceased 1 (e) Advocate acquitted 1 Total 16 In summary, complaints pending as at 31st March, 2019 were…. 4741 Those received between 1st April, 2019 and 30th June, 2019…….. 238 Total………………………………………… 4979 Closed files during the period under review……………………….. 352 Still pending as at 30th June, 2019………………………………. 4627 Dated the 2nd July, 2019. GEORGE NYAKUNDI, Secretary, Advocates Complaints Commission.