High Court sets dates to hear security laws suit

Kenya: A suit challenging the legality of the Security Laws (Amendment) Act 2014 will be heard between January 28 to 30, the High Court has said.

During a mention yesterday, Justice Isaac Lenaola directed that the Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) and the Kenya National Human Rights Commission on one side and Attorney General Githu Muigai, other interested parties together with the friends of the court on the other should file their submissions by January 21.

CORD, in its petition, maintains that the security laws infringe on individual rights. The court heard that the law contravenes the Bill of Rights.

However, Prof Muigai defended the new law saying it has given security personnel the ability to counter terror activities and if it is shelved, it will mean Kenyans will be left at the mercy of the perpetrators.

The court had already suspended some sections of the law triggering an appeal to challenge the ruling by Justice George Odunga. While suspending eight clauses of the Act on January 2, Justice Odunga referred the matter to the Chief Justice, whom he said would constitute a bench to hear the matter.

Chief Justice Willy Mutunga appointed Justices Lenaola, Mumbi Ngugi, Louis Onguto, Hilary Chemitei and Hedwig Ongudi to hear the case and deliver their decision before February 13. The law that made it mandatory for people to seek police permission before publishing images of terror victims was suspended.