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Botswana

Republic of Botswana

Mixed Roman-Dutch and English common lawParliamentary republicReviewed· 2026-08-03
Capital
Gaborone
Population
2,680,000
Languages
English, Setswana
Currency
BWP

Botswana · Courts

Court structure of Botswana

Every tier of the judiciary, what it hears, and where an appeal goes next.

The hierarchy, top to bottom

Final appellate — Court of Appeal
Final court for civil, criminal and constitutional matters; no further appeal.
Superior — High Court
Unlimited original jurisdiction, including constitutional review; reviews customary appeals.
First instance — Magistrates' courts
Ordinary civil and criminal work within statutory limits.
Customary — Customary Court of Appeal and chiefs' courts
Recognised parallel hierarchy handling a large share of first-instance disputes.
Specialised — Industrial Court
Employment and trade-dispute jurisdiction.

Every court in the hierarchy

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