The Kenya Law, Kenya’s official legal information platform, has addressed reports claiming that Kenyans will be required to pay to access or download court rulings and other legal documents from its official website.
In a statement issued on May 29, Kenya Law said the reports circulating on online platforms were inaccurate.
“It has been brought to our attention that claims circulating online regarding the charging for access to and download of Case Law and the Laws of Kenya on the Kenya Law website, new.kenyalaw.org,” stated Kenya Law.
Kenya Law Denies Charging Kenyans to Download Court Cases
Kenya Law clarified that its core mandate is to ensure public access to legal information and that this has not changed.
According to the notice, members of the public can continue to freely access a wide range of materials through the official platform, including court judgments, statutes, the Kenya Gazette and court cause lists.
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“The National Council for Law Reporting (Kenya Law) wishes to clarify to the Public that access to or download of Case Law and the Laws of Kenya, including the Kenya Gazette and the Cause List, are currently accessible for free on new.kenyalaw.org,” said Kenya Law.
The agency explained that the website remains open and accessible, allowing users to search, read, and download legal resources at no cost.
According to the agency, these materials are part of Kenya’s public legal record and are essential for lawyers, students, researchers, and ordinary citizens seeking to understand the law and court decisions.
However, the notice said there is one exception: the Annual Supplement, an updated version of the Laws of Kenya, which is sold at a “small fee” through the e-Citizen platform.
Kenya Law explained that this fee applies only to that publication, not to other legal materials on its website.
The council further encouraged the public to verify any claims through its official communication platforms, including its website and verified social media accounts.
Social Media Claims Trigger Response
The clarification follows social media posts alleging that Kenya Law had started charging users to download court rulings and judgments.
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In one shared post, a user questioned whether “stealing has reached Kenya Law Reports,” alleging that individuals were required to pay through the e-Citizen platform to download judgments.
The agency issued a clarification stating that its database remains open and accessible to the public at no cost for case law.
“Good afternoon, the NCLR database remains open to the public, providing free access to case law through the website domain http://new.kenyalaw.org. All development on the database will be communicated through our official channels,” the agency said.
Kenya Law stated that the claims about charging for court decisions are misleading and could discourage users from accessing important legal information
The agency stressed that public access to the law is a key part of promoting transparency and the rule of law.
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