09 Jun 2014

Acting Attorney General, Mr Bashi Moesi has informed the ongoing Public Accounts Committee sitting that his office is committed to retaining lawyers as they are scarce skill cadre.

Responding to Kanye North MP, Mr Kentse Rammidi’s question  while submitting before the committee on June 5, Mr Moesi said his department was  reworking on conditions of lawyers in conjunction with the Directorate of Public Service Management (DPSM).

He stated that they would soon engage consultants to determine how they will restructure conditions of lawyers and thus be able to retain them as they were currently leaving for greener pastures. Mr Rammidi had asked Mr Moesi what the department was doing to retain lawyers who were mostly scarce skilled.

Responding to another question from MP Fidelis Molao, Mr Moesi said the piloting of Legal Aid Project had come to an end and the department was now in the process of rolling it out to various areas but it will do so after considering some administrative issues and finalisation of the establishment of a board which will oversee its running.

Meanwhile, Mr Moesi said the department has been addressing the issue of contracting private lawyers to represent government on certain cases.  He said in the past they did not have a clear procedure on how to approach this issue because they would not have anticipated a legal suit, thus some private firms complained on the recruitment as they felt they were sidelined at the expense of others.

He said in the new arrangement they will engage types of lawyers competent on certain legal matters and will be listed probably for a period of a financial year before going for another batch. In this regard, he said there would less complaints arising from private lawyers. He was answering a question from MP Prince Maele. ENDS