Malindi Law Society v Law Society of Kenya, Nairobi Branch & 5 others
The bottom line
#Supreme Court refused stay because applicant delayed over 7 months without filing appeal.
What this practically means
#The Law Society of Kenya, Nairobi Branch, wanted to pause a Court of Appeal judgment while they appealed to the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court said no. The society had waited more than seven months after filing a notice of appeal without actually filing the appeal or asking for more time. The court ruled that a stay is not automatic—you must show urgency, merit, and quick action. The society’s delay and weak arguments meant the stay was denied. The Court of Appeal ruling stands.
Executive summary
#Questions the Court framed
#The issues the Court set itself to decide, in its own words.
- 1.Whether the applicant has demonstrated sufficient grounds for the grant of stay of execution of the Court of Appeal judgment pending appeal.
Key legal issues
#Whether the applicant has established grounds for the grant of stay of execution of the Court of Appeal judgment pending appeal.
The applicant failed to establish grounds for stay; the application was dismissed.
The court noted that the applicant had not filed a substantive appeal within the 30-day period prescribed by Section 33(1) of the Supreme Court Rules, 2012, and over 7 months had elapsed since the notice of appeal was filed without any application for extension of time. The court further held that the alleged loss of judicial time and legal costs if the appeal succeeded did not render the appeal nugatory, as the appeal remained only conjectural. The court emphasized that a stay is not a matter of course and requires genuine conditions of urgency, merit and dispatch, which were absent.
Legal principles established
#- Stay of execution pending appeal is not automatic; applicant must show urgency, merit, and dispatch.
- Failing to file a substantive appeal within 30 days (or get an extension) weighs against granting a stay.
- Risk of wasted judicial time and legal costs does not alone make an appeal nugatory.
- A stay cannot be granted on conjectural grounds; the appeal must be more than a mere notice.
- Delay of over 7 months without action is fatal to a stay application.
Court orders
#- 1.There shall be no Orders of stay against the Judgment of the Appellate Court.
- 2.There shall be no Order as to costs.
The bench
#One judgment of the whole court — no separate or dissenting opinions.
- On appeal from
- Court of Appeal
- Civil Appeal No. 287 of 2016 as consolidated with Civil Appeal No. 3 of 2017
- Jurisdiction invoked
- Articles 2(1), (3), 4 and 163(4)(a) and (7) of the Constitution; Sections 15(2), 21(1), (2) and 24(1) of the Supreme Court Act, 2011; Rules 23 and 26 of the Supreme Court Rules, 2012
Relief refused
#Stay of execution of the Court of Appeal judgment pending hearing and determination of the application and intended appeal
The applicant failed to demonstrate genuine conditions of urgency, merit and dispatch; the appeal remained only conjectural and the notice of appeal had been filed over 7 months earlier without a substantive appeal or extension of time.
Costs
There shall be no Order as to costs
Quotable passages
#Verbatim from the judgment, each located to the page it appears on in the official PDF — so these can be cited and checked directly.
Grant Of Stay of existing Orders cannot be a matter of course. It rests upon genuine conditions of urgency, merit and dispatch – which are missing in this instance.
These, in our perception, are not compelling ground rendering an appeal nugatory – especially as the appeal cause, so far, remains only conjectural.
There shall be no Orders of stay against the Judgment of the Appellate Court.
There shall be no Order as to costs;
Key timeline
#Practical implications
#Stay applications require prompt action
If you seek a stay pending appeal, file the substantive appeal within 30 days or apply for extension immediately. The Supreme Court rejected this stay because the applicant waited over 7 months without filing an appeal. Arguing that judicial time and costs will be wasted if the appeal succeeds is not enough. Act fast and show genuine urgency.
Certainty in court rulings
Businesses relying on a court decision should know that a stay of execution is not automatic. If you lose a case and want to appeal, you must act quickly. Delays can mean the judgment stands. Here, the applicant’s delay led to denial of stay, so the Court of Appeal judgment remains in effect. Move promptly to protect your interests.
Challenging a court ruling? Act fast
If you lose a case and want to appeal, file your appeal within the time limit (30 days for Supreme Court). Waiting too long can lose your chance to pause the lower court’s decision. This case shows that even a notice of appeal is not enough—you must follow up with the actual appeal promptly. Otherwise, the judgment will be enforced.
Frequently asked questions
#How long do I have to file an appeal to the Supreme Court of Kenya?+
You have 30 days from the date of the judgment you are appealing, under Section 33(1) of the Supreme Court Rules, 2012. If you miss that deadline, you must apply to the court for an extension of time.
Can I get a stay of execution while appealing in Kenya?+
Yes, but it is not automatic. You must show urgency, that your appeal has merit, and that you acted promptly. The court will consider any delay. In this case, the Supreme Court denied a stay because the applicant delayed over 7 months without filing the appeal.
What happens if I delay filing my appeal in Kenya?+
The court may refuse to grant a stay of the lower court’s decision. For example, the Supreme Court denied a stay because the applicant waited over 7 months without filing the substantive appeal. The judgment will be enforced.
Does loss of judicial time justify a stay of execution in Kenya?+
No, the Supreme Court said that the risk of wasting judicial time and legal costs if the appeal later succeeds does not, by itself, make the appeal nugatory. You need stronger grounds, such as showing the appeal would be pointless without a stay.
Later judgments citing this (2)
#Judgments in the corpus that rely on this one. Where the Court said how it treated the authority, that is shown.
- Samwel Nyabichere Muchemerson v Daniel Sereria Makara & 3 others [2021] KEELC 1878 (KLR)[2021] KEELC 1878 (KLR)28 Sept 2021applied
- United Millers Ltd v Kenya Bureau of Standards & 5 others[2021] KESC 72 (KLR)16 Jul 2021
Cite this brief
#Cite this brief
Caselaw, "Malindi Law Society v Law Society of Kenya, Nairobi Branch & 5 others", Case Analysis (2018). Civil Application 20 of 2017. Source: https://new.kenyalaw.orghttps://new.kenyalaw.org/akn/ke/judgment/kesc/2018/60/eng@2018-09-19
Suggested citation format for research notes or client memos. Always verify the original judgment before relying on any point.