The Southern Illinois University School of Law offers an annual course entitled Legal Globalization and Comparative Law: Botswana & South Africa for second year and above law students. The aim of that course is to provide the students with an overview on South Africa & Botswana Law and Development, Comparative Law, Human Rights as well as History and Culture and culminates in a physical visit to both South Africa and Botswana to explore and be exposed to their respective legal systems.

The course was first introduced in 2015 in collaboration with the Law Society of Botswana, Administration of Justice, University of Botswana and Chibanda Makgalemele & Co. who assist in the practicalities, logistics and implementation of the course during the student’s time in Botswana.

This year marked the third visit to Botswana and Chibanda Makgalemele & Co. alongside SIU Professor Chris Behan who is also currently the Acting Dean of the Faculty of Law and Professor Mark Schultz, accompanied the students to the various courts in Gaborone, such as the Customary Court in Bontleng, The Magistrate Court, The High Court and Court of Appeal.

The students are also exposed to various lectures from members of the legal fraternity, and this year they got a chance to listen to Professor John Kiggundu, from the University of Botswana who spoke on Comparative Law. Private Attorney Ms. Lesego Nchunga who spoke on her ground breaking case involving a transgender woman, where Lobatse High Court Judge Godfrey Nthomiwa ruled that transgender persons should be allowed to change their gender marker on identity documents as opposed to their assigned gender at birth, as well as Private Attorney Mr. Tshiamo Rantao who spoke on the laws surrounding homosexuality in Botswana and the ongoing challenge at Court, due to be heard in March 2018 concerning the constitutionality of certain sections of the Penal Code which render unlawful any acts contrary to the order of nature.

The SIU students also visited our offices where our very own Attorneys Bonolo Selelo and We-bathu Kwele presented on Customary Law and Intellectual Property respectively.
(We-bathu’s presentation is available for download.)

Over and above providing the students with a broad experience of the various judicial systems and facilities in Botswana provision was also made to enable them to enjoy and experience the sights and sounds of Gaborone, such as the 3 Dikgosi monument, Botswana Craft, Mokolodi Game Reserve, and the always popular Bull and Bush.
It is through programs such as this that we are able to strengthen and foster excellent relations between foreign faculties and law societies which is of paramount importance the world over.