Officiating the opening of the new session of the Lesotho High Court on February 1, Chief Justice Mahapela Lehohla said the M60 million programme, with its multidisciplinary approach to justice issues was established in January, 2004 as a think-tank for identifying problems besetting the speedy administration and delivery of justice.

To facilitate the process, institutional workshops for the police; the prosecution; the Law Society;  Legal Aid; High Court; Magistracy; Prisons Department and Probation Unit, were held with a purpose of identifying internal and interagency institutional problems that impede the effective and speedy delivery of justice, the Chief Justice said.

A study was also carried out with the assistance of the Training And Development Institute (TADI), in three districts of Maseru, Mafeteng, and Berea, to solicit public opinion on the performance of various institutions of justice.

The general trend of results obtained from the study showed a need to address issues of safety and security, delivery of justice, access to justice, diversion from the formal criminal justice system for sentencing as well as promotion and protection of human rights of the vulnerable groups in society.

The Chief Justice said workshops on Advocacy were held in November, last year to bridge the gap between the public prosecutors and crown counsel. He however acknowledged that the judiciary could not achieve positive results on its own without the efficient and effective support of the police, the prosecution, and the legal profession.

01 February 2005