Botswana’s courts recorded improvements in the disposal of both civil and criminal cases during 2025, according to the Administration of Justice (AoJ) budget presentation for the 2026/27 financial year.
Presenting the budget proposals before Parliament on March 9, Minister of Justice and Correctional Services Ramaotwana Nelson Ramaotwana said the latest Annual Performance Judicial Report indicates that courts across the country are increasingly managing to clear more cases than in previous years.
The report shows that the disposal rate for criminal cases at the High Court rose to 40 percent between January 2025 and December 31, 2025. This represents an improvement from the 32 percent recorded in 2024.
At the Magistrates’ Courts, the disposal rate for criminal cases stood at 54 percent during the same period.
Civil cases also showed encouraging progress. The High Court recorded a 50 percent disposal rate for civil matters, while the Magistrates’ Courts achieved a significantly higher rate of 77.3 percent.
Meanwhile, the Court of Appeal continued to record strong performance. The court achieved an 87 percent completion rate for substantive appeals between January and November 2025, while applications recorded a 93 percent completion rate over the same period.
Ramaotwana said the figures reflect “a significant improvement compared to the previous year in terms of disposal of cases at both the High Court and Magistrates’ Courts.”
The minister noted that efforts to improve court efficiency have included the establishment of specialized courts and structural reforms within the judiciary. Among these initiatives was the launch of a dedicated Criminal Court in September 2025 to handle criminal matters exclusively, a move aimed at addressing delays and reducing backlogs.
The government has also opened a High Court division in Mahalapye to expand access to justice and ease the workload of existing courts.
Authorities expect the ongoing reforms, including digitisation of court systems and the planned introduction of a Commercial Court, to further improve case management and the speed at which disputes are resolved.
The Administration of Justice says improving disposal rates remains central to strengthening public confidence in the judiciary and ensuring timely delivery of justice.
