LSK, Senior Counsel Bar Reject Bill Giving President Sole Power to Confer Senior Counsel Rank

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By irene 



The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the Senior Counsel Bar have strongly opposed the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to grant the President exclusive powers to confer the prestigious rank of Senior Counsel to certain public and political officeholders without reference to the Committee on Senior Counsel.

In a joint statement, the two bodies said the proposed changes by Hon. George Gitonga Murugara, Chairperson of the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, would undermine the merit-based and peer-reviewed process established under the Advocates (Senior Counsel Conferment and Privileges) Rules, 2011.

If passed, the Bill would automatically extend the honour to individuals who have served in positions such as the Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice, Speaker and Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Attorney General, Solicitor General, Director of Public Prosecutions, principal judges, parliamentary committee chairs on legal affairs, and LSK presidents.
While acknowledging the importance of these roles, LSK President Faith Odhiambo and the Council stressed that holding high office does not automatically equate to meeting the rigorous professional standards required for the Senior Counsel title. They warned that the amendment would create “two classes of Senior Counsel” — those appointed by the President and those recognised through peer review — diluting the honour’s integrity.

“The rank of Senior Counsel was introduced in 2003 to recognise legal excellence, preserve professional standards, and enhance mentorship in the profession,” the statement read. “The President’s role has always been to ratify, not to cherry-pick, honourees based on political or public office status.”

The statement further noted that many of the 66 current Senior Counsel holders had served in public office but had earned the honour through the established legal process, not by virtue of their positions. The LSK and Senior Counsel Bar urged Hon. Murugara to withdraw the Bill and allow the independent conferment process to continue without political interference.

They emphasised that the President already holds wide discretionary powers under the National Honours Act, 2013, to award state honours, and that the conferment of Senior Counsel should remain a “purely professional enterprise.”

The LSK also confirmed that it is currently reviewing statutes affecting legal practice in Kenya and will present its own proposals to Parliament after public participation.

Meanwhile, the Senior Counsel Conferment Committee, now fully constituted, is preparing to embark on the next conferment process under the current legal framework.


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