In its over twenty years of existence, PSK has been the lead agency in lobbying and advocating for the recognition of paralegals as critical catalysts in legal aid access in Kenya, where paralegals work within communities, prisons and correctional institutions, police stations, courts, and other justice access points.
Through the years PSK has made the following achievements: -
- Brought standardisation in paralegal practice and training in a time where there was no proper guidance, PSK developed a training curriculum which was aimed at standardising paralegal practice and trainings. The curriculum was developed in 2003 and launched in 2006. The curriculum consists of a Handbook for Paralegals and a training manual for trainers. The curriculum is periodically reviewed to be in consistent with existing laws. It was lastly reviewed in 2016.
- The curriculum is currently before the council for Legal Education (CLE) awaiting accreditation or approval to be used as a standard Paralegal training curriculum in Kenya.
- Lobbied for specific Articles in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 with particular regard to the respect and protection of dignity, access to justice, rights of an arrested person and the role of an intermediary in the justice system
- Lobbied for the recognition and accreditation of paralegals in the justice sector through the enactment of the Law Society of Kenya Act of 2014, Legal Aid and Awareness Policy of 2015, Legal Aid Act of 2016, Small Claims Court of 2016 and Guidelines on the Establishment of Court Users Committees (CUCs) of 2019, among others
- Lobbied for the enactment of the Victim Protection Act of 2014, Persons Deprived of Liberty Act of 2014, the Prevention of Torture Act of 2019, Legal Aid Regulations on Legal Aid Providers of 2020, Legal Aid Regulation on Accreditation and Code of Conduct for Legal Aid Providers of 2020 and the Alternative Justice Systems Policy of 2020,
- PSK has also made tremendous efforts to draw important lessons in a systematic way through sharing and comparing experiences with other paralegal programs and models in different countries or jurisdictions, including Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Somalia, and South Sudan.
- Paralegals have spearheaded strategic interest litigation suits in the magistrates, children, and high courts to enhance access to justice,
- Establishment of the Paralegal Award of the Year,
- Established an online Paralegal database and registered over seven hundred and thirty (732) paralegals,
- Increased the capacity and number of Chiefs and Assistant chiefs trained in paralegalism and access to justice countrywide. This has also facilitated and increased the number of paralegals who apply for the position of Assistant Chief being successful,
- Supported paralegals across the country in their engagement with the judiciary as intermediaries including in the High Court,
- Held bi-annual paralegal colloquiums and summits nationally and regionally to share best practices and refresher training,
- Facilitated and lobbied for the establishment and inclusion of local paralegals in various Court User Committees across the country,
- Established media and social media presence and footprints in digital platforms including website, Facebook, Twitter, and WhatsApp,
- Assisted in the establishment of a regional East Africa and Horn of Africa Paralegal Association (EAHAPA) and a member of East and Horn of Africa Paralegal Network.