GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 3556

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, 2019 to 31st March, 2019, the Commission received a total of two hundred thirty one (231) new complaints and submitted them for enquiry under the Preliminary Enquiry Initiative. 2. During the period under review, fifty five (55) 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 4 (b) Failure to render professional services 9 (c) Withholding funds 35 (d) Failure to carry out client’s instructions 1 (e) Failure to keep client informed 1 (f) Issuing dishonoured cheque 4 (g) Failure to comply with court order 1 TOTAL 55 3. Complaints filed against advocates/firms of advocates were disposed of 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 fifty six (256) (ii) Classified Complaints Total number of complaints finalized was seventy five (75) as follows: No. of Complaints (a) Abandoned 48 (b) Settled 3 (c) Closed no misconduct disclosed 5 (d) Dismissed 9 (e) Withdrawn 1 (f) Advocate deceased 9 TOTAL 75 4. Pursuant to section 53(4) and in the spirit of section 53(5) of the Advocates Act, thirty (30) complaints were settled amicably at the Advocates’ Complaints Commission. 5. 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 fifty two (52). 6. During the same period, forty (40) complaints pending at the Disciplinary Tribunal were disposed of as follows— No. of Complaints (a) Advocates suspended 2 (b) Settled (matters resolved) 22 (c) Withdrawn 2 (d) Dismissed 5 (e) Advocates deceased 5 (f) Fined 1 (g) Advocates struck off 2 (h) Advocates acquitted 1 TOTAL 40 7. In summary complaints pending as at 31st December, 2018 were 4889 Those received between 1st January, 2019 and 31st March, 2019 were 231 TOTAL………………………………………………….. 5120 Closed files during the period under review …..……..…… 371 Still pending as at 31st March, 2019……..……………… 4749 Dated the 5th April, 2019. GEORGE NYAKUNDI, Secretary, Advocates Complaints Commission.