The Law Society and Chief Justice Gaolapelwe Ketlogetswe have agreed to a cessation of hostilities following tensions over judicial appointments and other institutional disputes
GAZETTE REPORTER
Relations between the Law Society of Botswana and the Chief Justice appear to be on the mend following a meeting aimed at resolving longstanding differences, with the Society acknowledging improved ties between the two sides.
LSB chairperson Lesedi Moahi confirmed in an interview with the Gazette that “the meeting took place last week”, describing “judicial appointments as one of the issues discussed”, while indicating that the Society had acknowledged improvements in the most recent recruitment exercises.
The engagement comes after Moahi publicly acknowledged that disagreements between the Society and the Administration of Justice had damaged relations between the two institutions, raising concerns about the state of cooperation between the legal profession and the judiciary.
Moahi said that while the latest appointments represented progress, the Society remained concerned about the absence of a clearly established framework to guide the recruitment of judges.
“Although there were noticeable improvements in the most recent appointments, which we appreciate, there is still a need for a clearly spelt-out, unambiguous procedure,” he said.
Concerns
The Society has previously questioned the transparency of judicial recruitment, particularly the absence of publicly advertised vacancies, the criteria used to identify suitable candidates and the transparency of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
It has argued that judicial appointments should follow established procedures that promote merit, fairness and equal opportunity while protecting the independence and credibility of the judiciary.
The latest meeting could therefore mark an important step towards restoring working relations, although the Society’s position suggests that reconciliation does not mean abandoning its demands for institutional reforms.
Details for Members
Moahi was reluctant to disclose the full details of the engagement, saying the Society would first brief its members before making the discussions public.
“I would not want to divulge everything that was discussed at the meeting. All matters will be shared with our members at the appropriate time,” he said.