The Supreme Court has reinstated Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi’s right to practise before the country’s highest court, ending a lifetime ban that had locked him and his law firm out of its proceedings.
In a decision issued on Friday, January 23, the apex court ruled that the disciplinary action imposed earlier had achieved its intended objective, citing assurances of changed behaviour and a commitment to uphold the dignity of the judiciary going forward.
The court noted that recent engagements had helped resolve the long-running standoff between Ahmednasir and the judges. His legal representative informed the court that the senior counsel had pledged to avoid public statements that could be seen as attacking or undermining the institution.
“As of the date of this ruling, Senior Counsel Ahmednasir Abdullahi, members of his law firm, and any persons acting under his instructions are permitted to appear and practise before the Supreme Court of Kenya,” the judges stated.
The bench added that it was satisfied the lawyer had taken time to reflect on his conduct and had reassessed how he would relate to the court in the future.
The decision reverses a historic ruling delivered in January 2024, when the Supreme Court barred Ahmednasir and all advocates linked to his firm from appearing before it. At the time, judges cited sustained public criticism and what they termed unethical conduct directed at the judiciary.
Chief Justice Martha Koome had said the lawyer frequently used social media and mainstream platforms to accuse the court and its judges of corruption and incompetence, despite prior warnings.
The ban triggered sharp debate within the legal profession, with the Law Society of Kenya condemning it as unconstitutional and arguing that it violated clients’ right to legal representation of their choice.
Despite the sanction, Ahmednasir had publicly dismissed the ban as a “badge of honour” and indicated he would challenge the decision at the East African Court of Justice.