04 Feb 2025

Chief Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe has highlighted the urgent need to expand the High Court’s reach to various regions of Botswana.

Speaking at the official opening of the 2025 legal year today, Justice Ketlogetswe underscored the growing backlog of cases as a critical issue that required immediate attention.

The Chief Justice revealed that the Administration of Justice intended to approach the government to establish a High Court in the Mahalapye/Palapye and Ghanzi/Kgalagadi areas. 

“We are also desirous of establishing magistrate courts in other districts in the country in the short term and in the spirit of taking the services of courts closer to our people,” he stated.

In addition to the proposed locations, Justice Ketlogetswe mentioned potential sites for new magistrate courts in Tutume, Tswapong, and various parts of Kgalagadi.

He emphasised that these efforts aimed to alleviate the backlog of cases in the High Court. 

To this end, he announced plans to operationalise court-annexed mediation, which he believed would divert numerous cases from contentious litigation processes.

“Mediation will prove less costly and preserve harmonious relations between potential litigants, fostering cooperation rather than divisiveness,” he noted.

The Chief Justice said he plans to implement these mediation processes by the end of the year, aiming to revise the associated court rules to be more user-friendly. 

Additionally, he addressed concerns surrounding slow service delivery from the Master of the High Court, particularly in Francistown and Maun, announcing the dispatch of two officers to alleviate shortages.

Chief Justice Ketlogetswe also expressed intentions to introduce assistant masters at magistrate courts to expedite service delivery.

Addressing the issue of delayed judgments, he insisted that all judges with outstanding judgments must deliver them by the end of March. 

“This decision follows a thorough review aimed at addressing challenges within the judiciary,” he explained, clarifying that it should not imply that all judges are at fault.

With regards to the challenges the Admnistration of Justice faced in the previous year, Justice Ketlogetswe cited shortages of resources, manpower, and court reporters as significant hurdles impacting service quality. 

He also raised concerns about inadequately maintained court buildings and system failures in the computerised records management system (CRMS) that hindered timely case registrations.

Despite these challenges, the new Chief Justice expressed his vision for a judiciary that was proactive, innovative, and adaptive to technological advancements. 

Attorney General Ms Mmako Abram echoed these sentiments, emphasising the need for the justice system to be customer-focused and efficient to restore public trust.

She advocated for investment in robust, real-time recording systems to ensure effective court operations.

Law Society of Botswana chairperson, Mr Lesedi Moahi remarked on the society’s previous boycott of the legal session and expressed hope that the new government and Chief Justice would address long-standing concerns.

The opening of the 2025 legal year, themed: Future Outlook, was attended by among others, President Advocate Duma Boko and Vice President Mr Ndaba Gaolathe and cabinet ministers. ENDS