GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 1733

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 between 1st January, 2005 and 31st March, 2005, the Complaints Commission received a total of one hundred and thirty-three (133) new complaints of professional misconduct or otherwise against advocates and firms of advocates and that in the same period one hundred and sixty-nine (169) cases ' previously received were disposed of. The nature of new complaints is as shown below: Nature of complaint Number of complaints Failure to account 16 Failure to keep client informed 12 Delay 30 Failure to render professional service 22 Acting without instructions 2 Issuing dishonoured cheques 1 Overcharging 3 Withholding clients files/documents 1 Withholding funds 36 Conduct unbecoming of an advocate 0 Others 2 Failure to honour professional undertaking 1 Failure to attend court Inadequate professional services 1 TOTAL 133 Complaints filed against advocates/firms of advocates were disposed of in the following manner: Matter of disposal of complaints Number of complaints disposed off Abandoned Rejected or dismissed Settled Referred to Disciplinary Committee TOTAL Preliminary enquiry (PE) complaints complaints Number of Total number of preliminary enquiry (PE) complaints 1 I 1 Total number of complaints settled under the 54 preliminary enquiry The matters referred to the Disciplinary Committee (DC) during the same period for further action and in accordance with section 57 (I) of the Advocates Act were eighty-four (84). During the same period a further forty-nine (49) cases were disposed as follows: Manner of disposal Advocates struck off the Roll of Advocates Advocates suspended Advocates fined Advocates acquitted Settled (matters resolved) Admonished TOTAL In pursuance to section 53 (4) and in the spirit of section 53 (5) of the Advocate's Act, ten (10) complaints were settled amicably at the advocates Complaints Commission. Dated the 31st January, 2007. JOSEPH KING'ARUI, Chairman.