GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 5193

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 January, 2023 to 31st March, 2023, the Commission received a total of two hundred and ten (210) new complaints and submitted them for enquiry under the Preliminary Enquiry initiative. The current status of the above new complaints is as shown below: S/No. Status 1 Rejected 16 2 Undergoing Preliminary Enquiry and therefore carried over to the next quarter 1802 1802 The total number of complaints carried over to the period under review (that is 1st January, 2023 to 31st March, 2023) from previous quarters are four thousand and twenty six (4026). During the period under review, a total of forty-eight (48) complaints were classified and files opened. The nature of new complaints classified is as shown below: - S/No. Nature of Complaints No. of Complaints 1 Failure to render professional services 2 Withholding funds 20 3 Failure to account 12 4 Failure to inform 1 5 Practicing without valid certificate 1 6 Issuing Dishonoured Cheque 1 TOTAL 48 Complaints filed against advocates/firms of advocates were disposed of in the following manner during the period under review: - (i) Preliminary Enquiry (PE) complaints: Total number of complaints closed under the Preliminary Enquiry (PE) initiative were two hundred and thirty six (236). (ii) Classified Complaints: Total number of complaints finalised were three (3) whose details are as follows: S/No. Action No. of Complaints 1 Abandoned 1 2 Settled 2 TOTAL 3 Pursuant to section 53 (4) and in the spirit of section 53 (5) of the Advocates Act, fifty-eight (58) complaints were settled amicably at the Advocates’ Complaints Commission. The matters referred to the Disciplinary Committee during the same period for further action and in accordance with section 60 (1) of the Advocates Act were forty-two (42). During the period under review, fourteen (14) complaints pending at the Disciplinary Committee were disposed of as follows: S/No. Action No. of Complaints 1 Settled (matter resolved) 11 2 Matters withdrawn 3 TOTAL 14 In summary: S/No. Description No. of Complaints 1 Complaints brought forward to the period (1st January, 2023 to 31st March, 2023) from previous quarters 2 Complaints received between 1st January, 2023 to 31st March, 2023 TOTAL COMPLAINTS FOR THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW 3 Files disposed of during the period under review TOTAL PENDING COMPLAINTS AS AT 31ST MARCH 2023 Dated the 4th April, 2023. GEORGE NYAKUNDI, Secretary, Advocates Complaints Commission.