Are Lawyers Too Influential in Botswana’s Institutions?

[u/Careless-Locksmith80]

Botswana’s institutional framework is heavily reliant on lawyers. In almost every sector from finance, ICT, governance, even entrepreneurship and innovation the presence of lawyers is overly pronounced. While the legal profession is necessary for addressing liability, compliance, and governance, the problem arises when lawyers dominate discussions and decision-making in fields they have little or no expertise in.

Here’s why I think this has become a problem:

1. Lawyers Are Esteemed Above Other Professionals

Lawyers hold an inflated status in Botswana’s institutions. Their presence is treated as mandatory in most high-level discussions, regardless of whether the issue at hand is primarily legal in nature. This creates an imbalance: technical, financial, and innovative voices are muted while lawyers drive the agenda with limited technical grounding.

1. Lack of Technical Knowledge in Specialized Fields

A lawyer is not trained in financial interpretation, systems architecture, cybersecurity or product development. Yet, they often dominate panels, boards, and policymaking forums meant to address these very issues. For example, digitization and fintech discussions have been filled with legal experts while genuine ICT and cybersecurity specialists are nowhere to be found. For example, not long ago BIC held a Fraud Symposium that was full of lawyers, yet no Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) or forensic accounting professional was on the panel. The result is that policies are shaped by those with no hands-on knowledge of the subject matter.

1. Business Misconceptions

When lawyers engage in business-related policy or entrepreneurship support, they approach it from a legal (and often extractive) angle rather than a value-creation perspective. Their instinct is to focus on liability, restrictions, and inflated fee structures instead of efficiency, scalability and innovation. This suffocates entrepreneurship and prevents the growth of real competitive business ecosystems.

1. Professional Overstepping

The legal profession’s overreach has stifled other fields from gaining the authority and influence they deserve. Engineers, financial analysts, ICT experts, entrepreneurs, and innovators often find their expertise undervalued or second-guessed by lawyers who are incorrectly assumed to have superior universal knowledge.

1. The Law Should Remain in Its Lane

The legal profession is vital and there is no question about that. But its role should be strictly advisory and limited to legal matters i.e. compliance, contracts, and dispute resolution. Building systems, running businesses, designing policies for technical growth, and innovating products or services must be left to the professionals who are trained in those areas. When lawyers interfere beyond their field, they don’t add value instead they dilute it.

This isn’t an attack on lawyers mind you, it’s simply an opinion based on my observations. What’s your take? Do you think Botswana is too legalistic, or is balance necessary?

[u/AutoModerator]

Welcome to r/Botswana! We’re glad to have you here.

This subreddit is dedicated to discussions about Botswana, including its culture, history, news, tourism, economy, and people. To ensure a positive experience for everyone, please take a moment to review our:

• Rules
  
• FAQ for Tourists
  
• FAQ for People Looking to Move Here

If you have any questions, feel free to message the moderators.

Enjoy your time in the community!
— The r/Botswana Mod Team

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.