A fully fleshed Commercial Court with its own building, judges and the support staff is to be established within a period of two years from now, says the Minister of Justice, Human Rights and Rehabilitationary and Law and Constitutional Affairs.

Mrs. Mpeo Mahase-Moiloa told the National Assembly that the commercial court building will be made possible with the financial assistance from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

She said, at least 100 commercial cases have been awaiting to be settled in the courts of law since 2004, attributing the reasons to lack of judges, who could preside over such cases as commercial court judges exclusively.

She noted that the few that were available still had to deal with other High Court matters and this resulted in the Commercial Court being under utilised.

The Minister also highlighted that the commercial court started to function as far back as 2003, but because of the general complaints from legal practitioners that its rules were 'inconvenient', few cases were filed as commercial court matters and this resulted in failure to use the court fully.

Mrs. Mahase-Moiloa noted that Chief Justice as head of Judiciary is responsible for implementing the cabinet’s resolution to establish a Commercial Court.

The All Basotho Convention (ABC) Member of Parliament, Mr. Sello Maphalla had asked the Minister to highlight the house on the establishment of the commercial court.

The question he said was prompted by the announcement made by the Prime Minister that the cabinet had resolved to establish such a court, following the Ministers' retreat held at Mohale.

He also asked the authority responsible for implementing the resolution and reasons behind non-implementation to date, the number of commercial cases concluded and those pending, since August, 2004 and how soon the court would be established.

Source: LENA 18/10/2007