28 Feb 2018

Parliament has learnt that Legal Aid Botswana, where there is a reasonable prospect of success, can finance expert opinion required to pursue litigation on behalf of an indigent citizen.

Minister of Defence, Justice and Security, Mr Shaw Kgathi said Legal Aid Botswana had in the past engaged experts, particularly in medico-legal matters and will continue to consider expert opinion on a case by case approach.

He indicated that Legal Aid Botswana did not pay authorised expert fees for medico-legal or other expert reports necessary to prepare for trial.

Authority to source expert opinion, he said, must first be granted as the fees were often exorbitant and therefore engagement of experts was only allowed in cases with good prospects of success.

Minister Kgathi was responding to a question from Francistown East Member of Parliament, Mr Buti Billy, who had asked the minister to explain how Legal Aid Botswana assisted the poor as per its mandate, especially those who needed expert opinions in order to sue for medical negligence and whether Legal Aid Botswana payed for expert fees.ENDS