The country made famous by Alexander McCall Smith's fictional Lady Detective is appealing to UK solicitors to help it address a shortage of home-grown lawyers.


Botswana's Attorney General is asking solicitors and advocates to apply for posts with the African state's government department.



Dr Athaliah Molokomme told the Gazette she is looking for prosecutors and lawyers who have run large firms or held senior positions within UK government departments to come to Botswana and act as mentors, develop the legal system, draft legislation and provide specialist expertise.



'We are a very young legal profession... when Botswana got independence in 1966 there were just three secondary schools. Botswana was a protectorate, not a full colony, so there wasn't a colonial administration in place,' she said.



'We are not anywhere close to having enough lawyers... in 2005 the decision was made that prosecutions should be taken away from the police, but prosecutions are still being done by them,' she said.



Molokomme is also looking for specialists in emerging areas including intellectual property, commercial litigation, employment and international arbitration. She noted the country, famous for its diamond mining industry, does not have a single lawyer with mining expertise.



- For more information, contact dparr@govbw.com.



Anita Rice