Lawyers urged to use new task force to address grievances

Mr Dennis Mosota, the convenor of the Young Lawyers Committee. He has urged lawyers to stop “airing dirty linen on social media” and instead take advantage of a newly created task force for dispute resolution. PHOTO | COURTESY 

In Summary

• The convenor of the Young Lawyers Committee, Mr Dennis Mosota has urged them to stop “airing dirty linen on social media.”
• He cautioned advocates against resorting to informal channels “where their concerns cannot be addressed.”
• Mr Mosota also decried the lack of participation by lawyers in LSK-organised activities.
• He said forming social media groups like the OkoaLSK where people will read about grievances but fail to act was not a solution.

By VINCENT AGOYA
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Lawyers have been urged to take advantage of a newly created task force to resolve their disputes instead of “airing dirty linen on social media.”

The convenor of the Young Lawyers Committee, Mr Dennis Mosota, who is also a member the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) committee on Continuing Professional Development, cautioned advocates against resorting to informal channels “where their concerns cannot be addressed”.

He urged lawyers to shun social media, where some have recently taken to, saying they should instead present their grievances to the Arbitration Centre Committee for resolution.

Mr Mosota also decried the lack of participation by lawyers in LSK-organised activities.

“Many are the times when important decisions, resolutions and motions are passed but without your input simply because you do not attend,” Mr Mosota said.

He was speaking during an induction course held at a Nairobi hotel for newly admitted lawyers.

He said forming social media groups like the OkoaLSK where people will read about grievances but fail to act was not a solution.

USE NUMBERS POSITIVELY

“We should use our numbers positively and proactively as young lawyers and play a central role in the affairs of the society. Let us be part and parcel of major decisions made on these forums,” he said.

He recalled how the decision to raise funds for the construction of the LSK International Arbitration and Convention Centre in Nairobi was passed during a special general meeting called by the LSK on September 27 but only a handful attended as “some members chose to go and watch a rugby tournament in the city”.

The arbitration committee, Mr Mosota said, has its terms of reference on funding options and has been tasked to come up with a detailed report within 30 days.

He said the committee was put in place to address members’ concerns instead of publishing them online “where no one cares to attend to them”.

“Members do not attend meetings and do not take part in decision making yet they should be at the forefront of these processes so that they may bring about the desired changes they need to see,” he said.