| dc.description.abstract | Achieving and maintaining customer-perceived service quality is regarded as essential strategy
for the successful provision of overall customer satisfaction and customer retention in today's
competitive environment. The measurement of perceived service quality is commonplace in
service industries today as it is considered fundamental for the long term survival of service
providers.
The objective of this study was to determine the perception of the private legal practitioners in
Nairobi on the quality of service offered by the Kenyan Judiciary. To achieve this objective the
study examined the dimensions of perceived service quality included in the SERVQUAL model.
A sample of a 100 private legal practitioners was chosen through convenience sampling. The
data was collected through semi structured questionnaires which were self administered through
drop and pick method. Questionnaires were sent to 100 respondents and responses were received
from 90 private legal Practitioners. The data collected was analysed using percentages and
means. Tables were used for analysis.
Analysis of the data showed that the expected service quality on all the dimensions of service
quality is relatively high amongst the respondents. There are many similarities and some
differences in the perspectives of stakeholders about the importance and service expectations in
the judiciary. Overall, reliability of services is the most important of the service factors.
Emphasis on service quality responds to current demands for increased accountability and the
promised services, dependably and accurately. However, the service quality determinants which
were deemed most important by the private legal practitioners were also reported to have a high
service gap. There were gaps in all service elements under study.
Several recommendations were made based on the results of the study. The Judiciary in Kenya
needs to work on the perceptions of the private legal practitioners who are a key stakeholders
group in order to improve its service quality. The Judiciary should engage in development
service quality strategies which involve the study of perceptions of its key users especially the
private legal practitioners. It is important for courts to be equipped with the latest technology inorder to handle the increasing workload reliably. The judiciary needs to have a public relation
department to address complaints and give feedback to its users.
The major limitations of the study were that the study was restricted to the private legal
practitioners in Nairobi. Further, it considered the courts in general whereas several categories of
the courts, High court, Court of Appeal and Subordinate courts would have been considered
separately.
To overcome the limitations, further research may be done based on the perception of private
legal practitioners in other regions in Kenya. Further the services offered by the Judiciary may be
divided according to the various levels of courts, Court of Appeal, High Court and Subordinate Courts. | en |
