AG defends outsourcing legal services

GOTHATAONE MOENG
Staff Writer | Monday May 14, 2012 00:00

 

Accounting to the parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Friday, Molokomme said the Attorney General's Chambers outsources legal services to law firms on the basis of its knowledge of the firm's capabilities.

She was responding to a question from Tswapong North Member of Parliament, Prince Maele, who wanted to understand the process of outsourcing legal services and whether they have one preferred law firm. Maele wanted to know if it would be possible for law firms to tender to represent government when the need arises.

Molokomme said it would be 'tricky' for law firms to tender as they are not allowed to advertise their services. She said that they have a list of capable law firms. 'The way it's done is as transparent as possible because we are conscious that these are public funds we are using,' she said. 

She said that outsourcing legal services is 'as old as the chambers itself', and that previously they outsourced services mostly to South African law firms. She said there is good reason to hire private law firms as litigation is getting more complex.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General said her institution is faced with the challenge of losing experienced staff who cite dissatisfaction with their remuneration as their reason for resigning. She said she loses mostly staff in middle management, in the D and E salary scale, to private law firms and international organisations.