PHOTO/TOM MARUKO/NATION Havelock Jonathan Bowen during the vetting of High Court judges on July 5, 2011, chaired by the Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga at Anniversary Towers, Nairobi.
By NATION REPORTER
Posted Tuesday, July 5 2011 at 20:38
Posted Tuesday, July 5 2011 at 20:38
The vetting of new High Court judges continued on Tuesday with four candidates appearing before the Judicial Service Commission.
Mr Riech Stephen Nyangau, who was the first to be interviewed in the morning, promised to be the people’s remedy in justice should he be appointed a High Court judge.
But Mr Nyangau, who was Chief Magistrate in Eldoret, Nairobi, Busia, Embu, Nairobi and Kisumu was put to task to explain why he was seeking a position in the judiciary despite serving in it with its bad image before the eyes of the public.
He admitted that there has been rampart corruption in the Judiciary and that the institution has been closed to the public.
“I would give it (Judiciary) a grade ‘D’. We have not been moving with our customers, we have not been telling them what we have done.”
Next on the hot seat was Havelock Jonathan Bowen, an English educated lawyer who has also been serving as a private arbitrator.
The panel sought to know why at the age of 66 and 24 years as a lawyer, he still wanted to join the High Court when the retirement age is 70.
But Mr Bowen said he was impressed by “the refreshing way” of recruitment provided by the New Constitution.
He argued that previous recruitments were secretive often based on favouritism and hence he wouldn’t be interested.
Ms Meoli Wanjiku dwelt on how disorganised the Judiciary has been. If appointed, she said she will “keep my time and I run my courts efficiently. I limit adjournments and I will be ready to do business.”
Dr Jane Dwasi, who has been sitting on the National Environmental Tribunal, told the panel that her initiatives so far have included reviewing the National Environmental Management and Coordination Act, preparing a new mining law which is in a draft form and a bill establishing a land and environment court.
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