02 Aug 2022

Parliament on Monday passed the Legal Practitioners (Amendment) Bill of 2022 after making five amendments at the committee stage. 

The bill, which has 75 clauses, repeals and re-enacts with amendments the Legal Practitioners Act which has been in existence for over two decades.

It was tabled by Minister of Justice, Mr Machana Shamukuni, who pointed out that its main purpose was to provide for the admission, enrolment and practice of legal practitioners in Botswana and matters ancillary thereto.

Mr Shamukuni further said the objective of the bill was to ensure high professional standards and integrity in the legal profession as well as to provide for enhanced regulations and address challenges of malpractice, abuse of office, unprofessionalism and different forms of misconduct in the legal profession. 

Mr Shamukuni noted that the bill was first published in November 2020 but was subsequently deferred after the first reading in Parliament to allow for further consultations with the Law Society of Botswana.

After the committee stage, the bill went to the third reading the same day and 47 Members of Parliament (MPs) endorsed it. Ends