13 Mar 2017

Parliament has approved the sum of P322 251 057 for spending by the Administration of Justice (AoJ) during the 2017/18 financial year.

The Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi presented the budget proposal on Wednesday, explaining that P264 795 960 was allocated for recurrent expenditure while P57 455 097 was for development expenditure.

The minister stated that the recurrent expenditure has increased by four per cent compared to the current financial year, mainly due to increase in service charges. He added that the development expenditure has decreased by 43.3 per cent compared to the 2016/17 budget.

Mr Kgathi further explained that 92.3 per cent of the development budget has been allocated towards infrastructure projects under the AoJ.

“The (development) budget covers the completion of Kanye and Broadhurst magistrate courts, maintenance of court facilities, maintenance of judges’ houses, purchase of law books, procurement of vehicles, improvement to court security, and the improvement to houses for magistrates,” the minister said.

He said the remaining 7.7 per cent would cover computerisation projects such as e-filing and implementation of the traffic module within the Court Records Management System (CRMS), Real Time Reporting

Equipment, computerisation of AoJ and the improvement of the libraries. Meanwhile, debating the budget, MP for Gaborone Bonnington North, Mr Duma Boko urged the AoJ to improve its performance concerning availing of records of court cases.

He said court cases records, especially in lower courts, usually take long to be availed, which inconveniences people who want to appeal verdicts of their cases.

MP for Serowe South, Dr Pelonomi Venson-Moitoi said people living in rural areas should be assisted to access justice since courts are far from them. The legislator also called for the introduction of sign language use in courts, stating that its absence make justice unreachable for many people without speech, sight and hearing.

Member of Parliament for Mahalapye East, Ms Botlogile Tshireletso called for security of judges and magistrates to be enhanced, especially at their residences.

She further said mobile courts should be used more to assist in dispensing of cases in small village.

MP for Selebi Phikwe West, Mr Dithapelo Keorapetse said ‘there is a crisis in the Administration of Justice.’

He charged that the judiciary is not working independently and its that integrity has diminished. He said appointment of justices of courts should be made on the recommendations of Judicial Service Commission, which he said should comprise of attorneys, some MPs and Deans of Faculties, among others, instead of people owing allegiance to the President.

However, the Specially Elected MP, Dr Unity Dow said the judiciary is working independently.

Parliament passed the AoJ budget proposal on Wednesday. ENDS