Council of Legal Education

About Council of Legal Education

In addressing challenges related to education and training for a qualified legal profession in Kenya, successive pre- and post-colonial administrations have implemented diverse initiatives and established multiple commissions of inquiry to develop effective policies. Notable efforts include the founding of the Kenya School of Law, following recommendations by the Denying Committee (1962), to deliver vocational legal education. In the 1990s, the Kiwi Committee (1995) was tasked with restructuring the Kenya School of Law, while the Each Committee (1998) was appointed to examine broader issues in the administration of justice.

The Kiwi Report’s proposals led to the re-establishment of the Council of Legal Education under the Council of Legal Education Act, Cap 16A of the Laws of Kenya (now repealed). Although the Council was granted legal status, the Kenya School of Law operated as its executing arm under the Act, rendering the Council largely ineffective. Consequently, the functions of the Council and the Kenya School of Law became overly intertwined and unclear.

To resolve these inefficiencies, the Boogie-Ministerial Committee on the Development of a Policy and Legal Framework for Legal Education and Training in Kenya (2005) was established. This committee conducted a thorough assessment of legal education and training in Kenya, proposing reforms to restructure all legal institutions involved in policy implementation, including the Council of Legal Education and the Kenya School of Law. The key objective was to adopt international best practices and clearly distinguish between regulatory and supervisory institutions and those responsible for training. In practice, this meant separating policy formulation and oversight from the execution of training programs.

The Boogie Report was officially launched by the then Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs, Hon. Ms. Martha Karma, EGG, MP, on January 18, 2006.

As part of the implementation of the Boogie Report, two legislative proposals were drafted to re-establish the Kenya School of Law and the Council of Legal Education as independent entities. These efforts culminated in the enactment of the Kenya School of Law Act No. 26 of 2012 and the Legal Education Act No. 27 of 2012.

The Council of Legal Education became operational in September 2012 and was formally separated from the Kenya School of Law in January 2014, relocating to its new premises at Karen Office Park along Cantata Road.