Genesis of the GUC, LSB battle
Spira Tlhankane | Monday June 15, 2026 06:00
The beginning of the Leeds
Beckett-GUC partnershipAt the centre of the controversy is Gaborone University College’s (GUC) Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme, delivered through a franchising arrangement with Leeds Beckett University in the United Kingdom. The origins of the dispute date back to 2018 when GUC and Leeds Beckett University entered into a formal franchising arrangement under which the UK University would deliver its Bachelor of Laws programme through GUC in Botswana. According to GUC, the arrangement was not only transparent but was subjected to scrutiny by regulators from the outset. In 2019, GUC claims it wrote to the Law Society of Botswana seeking confirmation on whether graduates holding Leeds Beckett law degrees obtained through the partnership would be eligible to practise law in Botswana.
GUC maintains that the Law Society responded positively. They claim that a letter dated August 13, 2019, signed by the Society’s Executive Secretary, reportedly confirmed that graduates holding law degrees from Leeds Beckett University would be eligible to practise in Botswana under the Legal Practitioners Act.
Moreover, according to the institution, the programme subsequently received accreditation from the Botswana Qualifications Authority (BQA) in March 2020 as a franchise programme operating under the Non-National Credit and Qualifications Framework. Leeds Beckett University was approved as the awarding body, while GUC was accredited as the local delivery institution.
Throughout the programme’s existence, GUC says there was ongoing communication involving itself, Leeds Beckett University, the BQA and the Law Society.
Court documents filed in the latest litigation indicate that in June 2022, the LSB requested additional documentation regarding the structure of the programme and even expressed willingness to engage directly with officials from Leeds Beckett University. Further correspondence is said to have followed in December 2022 and May 2023, when Leeds Beckett University reportedly wrote directly to the LSB confirming that it was delivering its LLB degree through GUC and outlining plans for additional programmes. At no stage, according to GUC and the affected graduates, did the LSB indicate that programme graduates would face obstacles to entering the profession.
The first major test of the programme came when graduates sat for Botswana’s Bar Examinations. GUC says members of the 2023 graduating cohort wrote the 2024 Bar Examinations and were admitted into the legal profession without objection from the Law Society. For many students, this appeared to confirm that the programme’s status was settled. However, the situation changed dramatically for members of the subsequent graduating class.
The Stephens caseThe dispute entered the public spotlight in November 2025 when law graduate Kagiso Stephens approached the High Court seeking admission as an attorney of the courts of Botswana. Stephens argued that he met all statutory requirements for admission. He informed the court that he held a Bachelor of Laws degree from Leeds Beckett University and had successfully passed the Law Society’s professional admission examinations. The Law Society then opposed the application, and its central argument was that Stephens had failed to demonstrate that he possessed a recognised law qualification as required under the Legal Practitioners Act.
The Society maintained that Stephens had, in fact, been trained through GUC and had not shown that he obtained his qualification through examinations conducted by Leeds Beckett University in a manner contemplated by the legislation. During the proceedings, Stephens did not file supplementary heads of argument addressing the allegations raised by the LSB. He also failed to provide detailed academic records and transcripts showing where and how he completed his studies. These omissions ultimately proved decisive, and on April 15, 2026, Judge President Barnabas Nyamadzabo dismissed Stephens’ application.
The court held that Stephens had failed to discharge the burden of proving that he possessed the academic qualifications required for admission as an attorney. The judgment emphasised that applicants seeking admission must demonstrate that they are fit and proper persons, possess recognised legal qualifications and have passed the required professional examinations.
While Stephens produced evidence that he had passed the professional examinations and submitted a character reference, the court found that he had failed to provide sufficient evidence regarding the academic origins of his degree. Judge Nyamadzabo noted that applicants in comparable cases ordinarily submit complete academic records, including transcripts and details of courses undertaken. “The petitioner has not shown that he is qualified to be enrolled and admitted as an attorney,” the court ruled.
The judgment also accepted the LSB’s contention that, as regulator of the legal profession, it had a legitimate interest in opposing applications where questions arose regarding professional standards. Importantly, however, the court did not make a definitive finding that the Leeds Beckett-GUC programme was unlawful or invalid. Instead, the petition failed because Stephens had not adequately responded to the allegations against him or provided sufficient evidence to support his application.
GUC pushes backThe ruling immediately sparked concern among students and graduates. In response, GUC convened a press conference and stakeholder engagement forum to reassure students, alumni and the public that the judgment did not invalidate the programme. GUC Director of Academics Dr Chiparo Upenyu insisted that the qualification remained fully compliant with both Botswana and UK regulatory requirements.
He explained that Leeds Beckett University is recognised by the Botswana Qualifications Authority as an awarding institution. “The programme received BQA accreditation in 2020. Quality assurance audits are conducted regularly. Academic staff are vetted and approved by Leeds Beckett University. Examinations and moderation processes are controlled by Leeds Beckett. Degrees are awarded directly by Leeds Beckett University,” he noted.
GUC further argued that the Stephens judgment turned largely on procedural shortcomings rather than the legal status of the qualification itself. The institution maintained that it possesses extensive documentation demonstrating that the programme satisfies all applicable regulatory requirements. Several speakers at the forum criticised what they viewed as an overly broad interpretation of the judgment and warned of potentially devastating consequences for students who had invested significant financial resources pursuing legal careers. Advocate Mariah Akistemukit urged caution, noting that the judgment remained subject to possible appeal or review.
The Somolekae case
The dispute has now entered a new and potentially decisive phase. A group of 22 applicants, led by Arnold Rapula Somolekae, has filed an urgent application before the Maun High Court after the LSB refused to register them for the June 2026 Bar Examinations. Somolekae and the other applicants completed the Leeds Beckett University Bachelor of Laws programme delivered through GUC and were awarded their degrees in July 2025. Unlike in the Stephens matter, the applicants have placed significantly more documentation before the court.
Among the key pieces of evidence is a letter dated June 4, 2026, from Leeds Beckett University itself. According to the applicants, the university expressly confirms that their degrees were awarded by Leeds Beckett University and provides a detailed explanation of the franchise arrangement with GUC. The applicants argue that the Law Society was fully aware of the programme’s existence, structure and operation for years and had repeatedly engaged with both GUC and Leeds Beckett University regarding its implementation. They further point to the 2019 correspondence in which the Society allegedly confirmed that Leeds Beckett graduates qualified under the Legal Practitioners Act.
The graduates also rely heavily on documentation from the Botswana Qualifications Authority. According to BQA correspondence dated December 9, 2025, the programme was accredited in March 2020. “Its accreditation has been extended through December 2026. Leeds Beckett University remains recognised as an approved awarding body until September 2029. GUC remains accredited as an education and training provider until March 2028,” the graduates state. The applicants contend that these regulatory approvals remain valid and binding because they have never been withdrawn, reviewed or set aside.
The dispute intensified on May 29, 2026, when the Law Society informed the applicants that they would not be registered for the June 2026 Bar Examinations. In identical letters, the Society stated that the applicants had failed to demonstrate that they had obtained, “by examination conducted by the issuing university,” a qualifying law degree as required under the Legal Practitioners Act and accompanying regulations.
The applicants argue that the decision is irrational and procedurally unfair. They contend that if the LSB genuinely required clarification regarding the qualification, it should have requested additional information or sought clarification directly from Leeds Beckett University before denying registration. The graduates warn that exclusion from the June examinations would force them to wait for another examination cycle, delaying their admission into the profession and causing significant financial and professional prejudice.
In their urgent application before the Maun High Court, Somolekae and his co-applicants seek orders declaring the Law Society’s decision unlawful, irrational and unreasonable. They want the court to set aside the decision and compel the Society to register them for the June 2026 Bar Examinations scheduled to commence on June 22.
Unlike the Stephens case, where the court found that critical evidence was missing, the new litigation places squarely before the court issues relating to the legal effect of the Leeds Beckett-GUC franchise arrangement and the significance of BQA accreditation and recognition. For now, dozens of aspiring lawyers remain in limbo, waiting for the courts to determine whether years of study undertaken under an internationally franchised law degree will ultimately open the doors to Botswana’s legal profession.