For a better part of her journey, Kenyan Judge Joyce Aluoch has determined some of the most important cases of her career.
For nine years starting in May 2009, Aluoch was part of the esteemed Judges serving at the all-important International Criminal Court(ICC) - a career she has previously admitted she relished in.
In her latest sit-down with the press, however, the Judge, who is in the process of instituting reforms at the South Sudanese Judiciary, confirmed that pursuing Law was not her choice.
Her career kicked off after her father, E.O. Josiah, who served as a magistrate in the pre-colonial era, tricked her one day and enrolled her to pursue Law.
She noted that Josiah drew inspiration from his training at the Jeanes School in Kabete to encourage her to consider a career in the field.
"Believe it or not, Law was never my choice of a career. Law was my father's choice of a career for me, it was never mine. My father was in the provincial administration. there were four of them before independence.
"At that time, what was known as Jeanes School, Kabete, they were trained as magistrates. My father told me that from the training they got, he thought that in the family, I could follow that," stated Aluoch.
She noted that the evening preceding her enrollment, her father notified her that they would go for a visit at an undisclosed location.
On the fateful day, the father took a detour along Ngong Road where she was enrolled to pursue law and she could not detest.
"He tricked me one morning because he had just told me the previous evening that I would follow him to work. That time, he was a member of PSC. He did not tell me where we were going and those were the days you didn't ask parents questions.
"I got into the car, branched off Ngong Road, we walked into the officer, got in and he told Tudor Jackson (the principal) that 'this is my daughter and I want her to become a Lawyer,'" she added.
After dipping her toes into the career, however, she fell in love with it and achieved a number of milestones.
She served as a Judge of the High Court of Kenya for over 20 years, and was elevated to the Court of Appeal in December 2008.
She has also chaired the African Union Committee of Experts on the Rights of the Child (2001-2005).
In 2022, Aluoch was head-hunted by Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) to spearhead reforms in the South Sudanese Judiciary.
She holds a Law Degree from the University of Nairobi, a diploma in Legal Studies from the Kenya School of Law and a Master's Degree in International Affairs (GMAP) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University, USA.
