This archive report was first published on 21 April 2020.
On April 17, 2020, Chief Justice David Maraga gazetted new directions allowing service of court orders through mobile phone enabled messaging applications, including WhatsApp, Facebook, and Twitter. This move aims to ensure the wheels of justice keep turning despite the risks posed by Covid-19, which have led to the closure of courts.
According to the directions, court documents will bear names and contacts of either a lawyer or a litigant. A litigant will then scan all the stamped pages and send them to the court's email and to the other parties through email.
Chief Justice Maraga also directed parties to file written submissions, which will be limited to a number of pages, in cases where oral hearings are not necessary. The submissions shall be in Microsoft Word, with a minimum font size used of 12 and 1.5 spacing.
Once a judge delivers a judgment, there will be a stay, and the winning party will not execute the orders issued for two weeks. The rules allow the court or litigants to also propose a longer amnesty period.
Chief Justice Maraga encouraged warring parties to reach out of court settlement, waiving the requirement for all parties to sign a consent form. He directed that where parties in a case have agreed to settle the same, they will individually write to the court and the opposing side will concur that he/she has consented.
