Judiciary at the altar of power :: Mmegi Online

Botswana has entered a most critical period in its history. If what Judge President of the Court of Appeal (CoA), Ian Kirby’s speech at the opening of the January Court of Appeal session is anything to go by, then it is a matter of time this is living testimony.

Kirby, in his speech, mentioned that the court is seized with some complex civil cases. One of these complex cases he talked about include the appeal dealing with the suspension of the four High Court judges where the Law Society of Botswana (LSB) wants to be appointed ‘a friend of the court’. There is also the Omphemetse Motumise appeal in which President Ian Khama refused to endorse the appointment of the veteran attorney to the bench. There is another involving the LSB in which they lost a joinder application at the High Court.

These are important constitutional matters that the highest court in the land is supposed to resolve diligently. Then came the opening of the CoA session speech, which treads on the fringes of recklessness.

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