NAIROBI, July 9, 2025 The Judiciary on Wednesday conducted Closing of File Proceedings in honour of the late Senior Counsel Pheroze Nowrojee one of the country’s most revered legal minds.
Presiding over the ceremony, Chief Justice Martha Koome described the tradition as a reminder to both bench and bar of their sacred duty in the temple of justice. She hailed Nowrojee as a jurist whose life embodied the finest ideals of courage, integrity, and fidelity to the rule of law.
“His was a professional journey marked by unwavering dedication to justice. In honouring him today, we reflect on a life lived in service of law, liberty, and the people,” said CJ Koome.
Admitted to the Bar in 1965 and to practice in Kenya in 1967, Pheroze Nowrojee’s legal career spanned over five decades across multiple jurisdictions. A brilliant and principled advocate, he earned regional and continental respect for his commitment to constitutionalism and human rights, particularly during Kenya’s repressive political eras in the 1980s and 1990s.
“He used the law not merely as a career, but as a moral and constitutional calling. He stood on the frontline of the struggle for civil liberties undaunted by the personal cost,” the CJ added.
The ceremony also honoured his lasting contribution to legal education and mentorship, having taught at the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi, and the Kenya School of Law. His influence shaped generations of legal professionals, many of whom now serve in senior positions across the legal landscape.
Chief Justice Koome noted that the freedoms Kenyans enjoy today freedom of expression, multiparty democracy, and constitutional accountability bear Nowrojee’s unmistakable imprint.
“His legacy lives not just in legal texts, but in the rights he defended, the minds he shaped, and the justice he championed,” she said.
As his file was symbolically closed, the Judiciary reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the ideals that defined Nowrojee’s life justice, fairness, and constitutional supremacy.
“May we who remain carry forward the torch he bore so valiantly moral and constitutional calling. He stood on the frontline of the struggle for civil liberties undaunted by the personal cost,” the CJ added.
The ceremony also honoured his lasting contribution to legal education and mentorship, having taught at the University of Dar es Salaam, the University of Nairobi, and the Kenya School of Law. His influence shaped generations of legal professionals, many of whom now serve in senior positions across the legal landscape.
Chief Justice Koome noted that the freedoms Kenyans enjoy today freedom of expression, multiparty democracy, and constitutional accountability bear Nowrojee’s unmistakable imprint.
“His legacy lives not just in legal texts, but in the rights he defended, the minds he shaped, and the justice he championed,” she said.
As his file was symbolically closed, the Judiciary reaffirmed its commitment to upholding the ideals that defined Nowrojee’s life justice, fairness, and constitutional supremacy.
“May we who remain carry forward the torch he bore so valiantly.”
