The Chief Justice of Lesotho, Justice Sakoane Peter Sakoane applauded the Judiciary team for their dedication to delivering justice despite various challenges they face.

Justice Sakoane said this when delivering the speech from the Bench during the ceremony marking the beginning of the first session in the new year held at Palace of Justice Grounds in Maseru on Thursday.

He said unlike Cabinet Ministers and Parliamentarians who have better benefits, the welfare of Judges is not in a good space, thus undermining their integrity, hence calling for speedy review in a bid to meet them halfway.

In addition, he stipulated that the Judiciary system operates under a decreased budget which cannot even meet the basics including the availability of law books and journals to mention but a few, which disposes the courts to dysfunctionality.

Other challenges which he said affected the procedures of the courts in the last year included the cyber-attack they experienced, thus tempering the court systems. Therefore, he appealed to the Executive to support the courts in all possible measures.

Talking about successes, he talked about the launch of the justice sector forum by the Prime Minister last year which he reiterated went a long way in bringing among others public engagement in line with the courts’ strategic development.

Moreover, he expressed appreciation to the United Nations family for supporting the judiciary reforms project, saying such is a huge step towards enhancing the rule of law in the country.

Chief Justice remarked that in 2023, the volume of work increased, saying within the Appeal Court, for instance, they enrolled 87 cases of which all of them were disposed of.

Today’s ceremony commenced with a moment of silence in remembrance of Judiciary officers who passed away last year. They include among others; Advocate Puseletso Moleko and Deputy President Labour Court, Makoanyane Keta to mention but a few.

Source: LENA 01/02/2024