GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 4668

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, 2024 to 31st March, 2024, the Commission received a total of two hundred and sixty-one (261) new complaints and submitted them for enquiry under the Preliminary Enquiry Initiative. The current status of the above new complaints is as shown below: Status No. of Complaints Rejected 58 Undergoing Preliminary Enquiry and therefore carried over to the next quarter The total number of complaints carried over to the period under review (that is 1st January, 2024 to 31st March, 2024) from previous quarters are three thousand and seventy-two (3072). During the period under review, a total of sixty-nine (69) complaints were classified and files opened. The nature of new complaints classified is as shown below: - Nature of Complaints No. of Complaints Failure to render professional services 5 Withholding funds 31 Failure to honour professional undertaking Failure to inform client 3 Practising without certificate 1 Failure to account 11 TOTAL 69 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 four hundred and sixteen (416). ii. Classified Complaints: Total number of complaints finalised were forty-seven (47) whose details are as follows: Action No. of Complaints Settled 33 Dismissed 6 Advocate deceased 2 Withdrawn 6 TOTAL 47 Pursuant to section 53 (4) and in the spirit of section 53 (5) of the Advocates Act, thirty-four (34) complaints were settled amicably at the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 fifty-three (53). In summary Description No. of Complaints Complaints brought forward to the period the 1st January, 2024 to the 31st March, 2024, from previous quarters. Complaints received between the 1st January, 2024 to the 31st March, 2024. Total Complaints for the Period Under Review 3333 Files disposed of during the period under review. Total Pending Complaints as at the 31st March, 2024. Dated the 4th April, 2024. MOSES K. CHEBOI, Chairman, Advocates Complaints Commission.