They claim that the Law Society is sabotaging them in a bid to protect the market for locally trained lawyers. The society administers examinations to lawyers who got their degrees in foreign universities before they can practice in Botswana.
One of the graduates who studied law at a foreign university, Friday Leburu accused the Law Society of deviating from the traditional route of administering the examination. Leburu pointed out that since 1996, the examination consisted of three papers, each taking three hours. But they have been made to sit for five papers. He said the society is employing unorthodox methods designed to deny foreign trained lawyers the chance to practice in Botswana. The only law graduates that are admitted to practise directly in Botswana are from those from universities of Lesotho and Swaziland. About 36 law graduates sat for the examination this year. Leburu said 33 were from South African universities while the other three were from elsewhere.
