10 Mar 2024

Parliament has approved the over P434 million Administration of Justice budget proposal for the 2024/2025 financial year.

Presenting the proposal in Parliament this week, Minster of Justice, Mr Machana Shamukuni explained that P406 million was the recurrent budget while over P27 million would be for the ministry’s developments.

He noted that the recurrent budget represented an increase of 1.2 per cent over the 2023/2024 approved budget of P401.1 million.

He said the development budget would cover infrastructural projects which included the maintenance of court facilities, maintenance of judges houses, improvements to magistrates’ houses as well as the computerisation project such as e-filing, computerisation of administration of justice and improvements to libraries.

“Maintenance of court facilities will commence in the coming year to address major maintenance issues experienced throughout our courts. Amongst those earmarked for refurbishment are structural repairs and air conditioning repairs at Francistown High Court, Mochudi and Shakawe magistrates houses, air conditioning at both Gaborone High Court and Broadhurst Magistrates Court, Molepolole Magistrates Court, Jwaneng Magistrates Court,” Minister Shamukuni said.

He stated that land had been secured for the Palapye high court and Charleshill magistrates court with both projects included in the coming National Development Plan (NDP 12).

Mr Shamukuni said a feasibility study for the construction of the Serowe magistrates court, which was to be built through the Public Private Partnership, was complete.

He acknowledged that the Administration of Justice was grappling with manpower shortages, especially court support staff, which included court reporters and bench clerks.

He said officers worked long hours to compensate for the staff shortages. 

“This adversely affects staff wellbeing and the efficiency of the courts. We are hopeful that our continued engagement with the Directorate of Public Service Management will bear fruit in addressing this issue,” he said.

Additionally, Minister Shamukuni stated that the judiciary was battling with case backlog, which was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and its associated restrictions, adding that the pandemic had a negative effect on the disposal rate of cases resulting in congested court schedules.

He said the disposal rate for criminal cases at the high courts from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023 stood at 38.9 per cent whilst at the magistrate courts it was 60.5 per cent.

He said civil cases disposal rate at the high court was 56.4 per cent whilst at the magistrate courts it stood at 76.6 per cent.

As for the Court of Appeal, Mr Shamukuni noted that the performance for the period January 2023 to November 2023 stood at 85 per cent for substantive appeals.

He said court schedules were currently in 2025 due to clogging of cases, adding that a committee had been set up chaired by the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Justice to find lasting solutions to the longstanding issue of case backlogs.

He highlighted that data was being collected by all concerned stakeholders to determine the extent of the backlog and statuses of the cases.

Furthermore,Mr Shamukuni said the Administration of Justice was in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade under the support job creation and investment climate project to assist in the establishment of commercial courts.

He said the project had commenced with a consultant engaged and already on site, noting that the first two phases of the project, which included the inception meeting and the production of an inception report, had been done. Ends