Kirby attacks Lecha
Mpho Mokwape | Friday February 5, 2016 16:42
Before the delivery of the judgements for the CoA’s January session, Kirby addressed the court on what he said was the rude behaviour from the Law Society of Botswana (LSB) chairperson Lawrence Lecha.
He said it was rude and uncalled for to use the opening of the Legal Year to talk about Brand and his appointment.
The remarks by Kirby thicken the plot in the ever-controversial Judiciary with the government having also declared that they would blacklist LSB until an apology was offered. Lecha in his remarks had taken a swipe at the appointments of judges to the highest courts and had sparked a response from the government and now Kirby.
Kirby explained that Brand did not apply for the job but he was merely appointed on merit, as he was a scholar and outstanding learned judge with extensive experience in the legal fraternity.
“As such Lecha’s utterances that his appointment should be nullified was out of line especially using the platform that he used at that time and in that instance,” he said. “I apologise about any harm that he may have caused.”
Furthermore, Kirby said Lecha had no right at all to even talk about Brand, saying it was appalling that the public, the media, local and international were present.
Kirby went on to give brief details about Brand and said the public should make their own judgement and not go with Lecha’s remarks.
“I sincerely apologise to Brand on behalf of the legal fraternity and I can assure the public that he was the right man for the job, it was not about his race, gender or age, it was done on merits, so to even suggest that he was appointed because of his race was totally out of line,” he said.