06 Aug 2023

The judiciary is made up of men and women of high integrity who cannot be influenced to temper with justice, says Minister for State President, Mr Kabo Morwaeng.

Mr Morwaeng, who is also Molepolole South Member of Parliament, said this when debating the Judicial Service (Amendment) Bill of 2023 in Parliament.

He said since independence, the country had a clear separation of powers between its three arms of government being the judiciary, Parliament and the executive.

The separation of such powers , he added, had set the country apart from others and made it a beacon of peace and tranquility.

He said judicial independence was guaranteed and that judicial officers could not be influenced to sway the outcome of cases.

Mr Morwaeng urged MPs to treat issues of the judiciary with the sensitivity they deserved and rebuked politicians who addressed the judiciary without regard.

He noted that politicians were influential members of society and that whatever they said might incite their followers. 

Nata/Gweta legislator, Mr Polson Majaga also supported the bill, saying the law stipulated that the salary adjustments of officers such as judicial officers should be sanctioned by Parliament.

He also called for the establishment of a commission which would specifically deal with the welfare issues for judicial officers and dikgosi.

He said when compared with their counterparts in the region, Botswana judicial officers were not adequately remunerated.

Maun East Member of Parliament, Mr Goretetse Kekgonegile said the judiciary was key to the existence of peace in the country through its dispensation of justice.

Mr Kekgonegile said judicial officers should not take sides and that the judiciary should be accessible to all and cases concluded timely. He also said efforts should made to address delays in case completion.

The MP opined that another way of reducing delays could be through the introduction of specialised courts such as family courts in order to move away from the current set-up where all cases queue at the High Court.

Shashe West Member of Parliament, Mr Fidelis Molao said the amendments were in order as they addressed, among others, the adjustment of judges’ salaries which was not effected when other public officers were awarded salary adjustments. Mr Molao also noted that members of the public often complained of delays in the litigation process hence the need to strengthen the judiciary through expanding courts and increasing both judicial officers and support staff.

Mr Wynter Mmolotsi of Francistown South said judicial interference should be guarded against at all times.

He said courts were the last resort for those seeking justice and that they ought to remain independent from all, including from the executive.

He further stated that there was a need to address issues of judicial independence so that courts were at all times deemed to be free from influence.

The Judicial Service (Amendment) Bill seeks to, among others, award salary adjustments to judicial officers who were not awarded when other public service employees were awarded.

The bill also calls for the reimbursement of arrears from the 2019/2020 financial years to date and the introduction of responsibility allowance for the head of division. ends