Court rejects 'UK university' law graduate's bid to practise

The judgment was delivered on Friday by Judge President Barnabas Nyamadzabo, following a petition filed by Kagiso Stephens in November 2025. Stephens had asked the court to admit him as “an Attorney in the High Court and other Courts of the Republic of Botswana”.

Stephens argued that he qualified under the Legal Practitioners Act because he holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from Leeds Beckett University in the United Kingdom. He also told the court that he had passed the Law Society of Botswana’s admission examinations. However, the Law Society of Botswana opposed the application as it argued that Stephens did not meet the academic requirements set out in the law. The society claimed that Stephens was actually trained at GUC, which is not a recognised institution for admission as an attorney in Botswana.