Folks,

With Willy Mutunga and Nancy Baraza on the Wheel at the Dock, I believe Mary Ang’awa with other incorporated service men and women, a force will be generated to spice the team’s effort to help in fast-tracking backlog cases, and in a speedy surge, get on to deep skin clean-up exercise, clear the mess and fix fixtures…..

Thanks,

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

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Dos and Don’ts in Ang’awa’s courtroom
Published on 14/05/2011

By Wahome Thuku

One of the most callous remarks made on a candidate by the Judicial Service Commission during interviews for Chief Justice was directed to Lady Justice Mary Ang’awa that she “runs her court like a kindergarten”.

If the comment was intended to ridicule the High Court judge, then it was uncalled for. But in reality, Ang’awa makes a classroom out of her court sessions.

Ang’awa is a no-nonsense woman. Lawyers, litigants and even journalists spruce up before entering her court.

When she joined the Judiciary as a district magistrate in 1980, there were very few women in the Judiciary. She rose through the ranks to become judge in June 1993.

In her court, seniority takes precedence. The senior-most advocate introduces the others and speak for them in all housekeeping matters.

Anga’wa does not entertain women in jeans-trousers and long earrings, no matter what their business is in court. She will not hear female advocates in dreadlocks or fancy hairstyles or male colleagues violating the Law Society of Kenya’s dressing code. She does not entertain lawyers walking in and out of the court when their cases are being heard. That strictness has put her in conflict with advocates leading to her numerous transfers.

There is no standing in her court; you either sit or stand outside. Slumbering on a bench or chewing gum during a session is a good reason for her to throw you out.

After court session, Ang’awa will often sit with the journalists present and take them back through the proceedings to ensure they understand what transpired. Anyone misreporting proceedings in her court would only do so out of sheer ignorance.

Former Kamukunji MP Simon Mbugua is one of those who will live to remember how strict Ang’awa can be. After two judges disqualified themselves from hearing an election petition challenging Mbugua’s election the case was allocated to Ang’awa.

She set time lines that she never deviated from even once. What looked like a petition that would take years to conclude was disposed off in two months and Mbugua lost the seat.