Acting Chief Justice ‘Maseforo Mahase says a well-funded judicial service is the indispensable fulcrum around which any modern nation’s socio-eco political development, transformation and stability revolve. Delivering her speech during the ceremonial opening of the High Court 2019 session on Friday Justice Mahase explained that Lesotho’s judiciary is in dire need of sufficient funds for it to be run smoothly against the current annual budgets that are always cut by the government.

 She indicated that in the fiscal year 2018/2019, the judiciary budget allocation took a huge unprecedented cut of M26,307, 683.25, the cut which spells initially a proverbial death knell to the judiciary’s faint hopes of servicing any debts, let alone paying for any operating costs. Justice Mahase explained that if this worrying scenario is allowed to persist, it is not the judiciary personnel who will only suffer but the justice starved and service starved, impoverished and demoralized nation that will also suffer immeasurably. She also indicated that starving the judiciary of any meaningful funding promotes instability, erode public confidence in the rule of law, promotion of human rights and ultimately promote a nation of believers in the evil of self-help because the judiciary simply cannot discharge its constitutional mandate.