The management of High Court records in Botswana (original) (raw)
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The management and preservation of records is a crucial element in a records programme. This study investigated the management and preservation of court records, focusing particularly on the Mthatha Magistrate Court in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. A mixed methods approach, consisting of both qualitative and quantitative methods, was used, and data were obtained through interviews, observations and questionnaires. Using purposive sampling, 35 staff members were sampled from the Mthatha Magistrate Court. The quantitative data that were obtained from questionnaires distributed to these 35 respondents were analysed using the IBM SPSS software package and were presented in graphs and tables. Four participants were interviewed, and the qualitative data obtained from these interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis. The findings of the study revealed that the court officials depended entirely on records to fulfil their roles and that they acknowledged that records were vital for the administration of justice. In general, the results suggested that the management of records at the relevant court was ineffective, primarily in the creation phase. The study concluded that creators of court records should be responsible for their records so as to facilitate the smooth operation of the court. The study strongly recommended that the court should consider putting in place a general records management policy that should include the management of records only in an electronic form. The policy would give guidance for managing records and address issues such as records access, records security and preservation, as well as the management of electronic records.
Access to electronic court records in Botswana
ESARBICA Journal: Journal of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives, 2021
Governments all over the world are using information and communication technologies (ICTs) to enable the delivery of their programmes more effectively and efficiently and to increase the participation of the citizens in their governance through their e-government initiatives. The main purpose of this study was to explore issues of access to electronic case files at the Gaborone Magisterial District. Since 2005, the Department of Administration of Justice (AOJ) in Botswana has implemented an electronic Court Records Management System (CRMS) to manage case file records at the high courts and magistrates' courts of Botswana as one of the government's public sector reforms to improve service delivery at the courts. This study used both the quantitative and qualitative approaches with data collected through a questionnaire, document review, interviews with respondents and observation of respondents at the Gaborone Magisterial District as well as at justice stakeholders, which are Department of Public Prosecutions and the Department of Prisons and Rehabilitation. The questionnaire was supplemented with interviews. The study used the Records Continuum Model as lens to examine how electronic case files were used and accessed through the CRMS. The findings of the study revealed inadequate legislation on the management of electronic case files in Botswana. Challenges such as network disruptions, shortage of computers, resistance to change, training and a lack of commitment by staff affected access to court records on the CRMS. The study also established that access to electronic case files was limited to court personnel only. The study recommends the adoption of relevant policies and the provision of adequate infrastructure and remote access to electronic court records by the public and other stakeholders in the justice system in Botswana. Failure to provide online access to court records goes against the spirit of the Botswana National ICT policy and the National Vision 2036, which advocates for digital access to information and community access through the use of ICTs.
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Proper storage of records ensures that they are continuously accessible. Proper storage is a vital aspect of every records management program. Good records management will promote efficient and effectiveness in ensuring regulatory compliance, minimizing litigation risks, supporting making informed decisions by providing timely and sufficient information. The aim of the study is to assess records management practices in the private and public sector in Botswana. A cross-sectional study with quantitative approach was completed in Gaborone between January 2019 and May 2019. Respondents who were included in the study were record management officers who work in public and private sector. A snowball sampling technique was used to find a specific number of participants who works in the private sector while a purposive sampling technique as used for records officers who work in public sector. All statistical modelling was carried out using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, versio...
Journal of the South African Society of Archivists, 2021
This article focuses on harnessing a records management programme for justice delivery at the Alice Magistrates’ court. The objectives of the study were to find the extent to which court records are managed for justice delivery, the influence of court records in court processes, and the challenges, if any, of managing court records for justice delivery. The population of the study comprised all those who created and used court records at the Alice Magistrates’ court. The study used both quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection. Quantitative data were coded and analysed using Microsoft Excel 2010 while qualitative data were analysed using emerging themes based on the objectives of the study. The findings revealed that although records were important for justice delivery by the court, there were challenges posed by inadequate infrastructure, the lack of necessary knowledge and skills, ineffective control of records for justice delivery, and inadequate facilities for pr...
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This study aimed at establishing the state of preservation management of government records in Botswana. Of interest was finding out what preservation activities and conditions are maintained at records creating government organisations. The study used a survey methodology. The study population consisted of 34 administration officers supervising records management and 8 records managers purposively selected for interviews. Stratified simple random sampling was used to select the 76 questionnaire respondents who are records management unit operational officers. Personal observations were done to substantiate data collected from respondents. The findings revealed that, although, the surveyed institutions demonstrated reasonable commitment to preservation, they do not uniformly respond to preservation management. In conclusion, the study recommends the development of preservation policies and procedures which would form the standard procedures for preservation of records in public sec...
S.A. argiefblad, 2023
The management of electronic records has been a burning issue in many sectors, particularly the justice sector. Criminal justice institutions, such as courts and ministries of justice, suffer from inadequate management of court records, which undermines the legal and judicial systems. South African courts are overburdened with backlogs, delays, and corruption due to poor electronic record management. The dysfunctional management of electronic records has led to poor service delivery and justice for citizens. These concerns provided the impetus for research to assess the management of electronic records at Temba Magistrates' Court in the North West Province of South Africa. To achieve the stated aim, the study adopted a qualitative approach through a case study design. Data were collected by conducting interviews with purposely selected records officers, a records manager, registry clerks and document controllers. The findings of the study indicated that Temba Magistrates' Court has put in place relevant legislation and policies for managing electronic records. The study findings showed that staff are not complying with records management policy. The major findings of the study revealed that the Temba Magistrates' Court has experienced unforeseen consequences, including a backlog of cases, challenges of data storage, loss, and misplacement of electronic court records resulting from poor records management practices. The study concluded with recommendations for the need to motivate and encourage staff members to adhere to the records management policy. The study also revealed the need to adopt multifactor authentication mechanisms such as biometrics, passwords, and fingerprints to reduce or prevent unauthorised access to electronic court records. A comprehensive records management programme should be developed and implemented. It is concluded that staff members working at Temba Magistrates' Court should be suitably trained in all aspects of electronic court management.
Management of Public Sector Records and Archives in Botswana
IGI Global eBooks, 2018
This chapter looks at the management of public sector records and archives in Botswana. The chapter starts with an overview of developments in the East and Southern African Regional Branch of the International Council on Archives (ESARBICA), which provides a foundation for discussion of developments in Botswana. It looks at the extent to which the Botswana National Archives and Records Services (BNARS) has fulfilled its role as the overseer of the creation, maintenance, use, disposition of public sector records, and preservation of the country's cultural heritage. It also looks at the impact of information and communication technologies and management of electronic records together with issues of staffing, training, and the challenges and prospects the country is faced with in managing records and archives as a symbol of cultural heritage. The chapter is based on an extensive review of the literature and the author's personal experience. It ends with recommendations on future directions. www.igi-global.com/chapter/the-construction-of-the-social-reality-from-the-news-narrative-totransmedia-storytelling/207447?camid=4v1a The Marketer as Storyteller: Transmedia Marketing in a Participatory Culture Tuba Özbölük (2019). Handbook of Research on Transmedia Storytelling and Narrative Strategies (pp.
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This study investigates the Management and Utilisation of Judicial Records in Federal High Courts in the North Western States of Nigeria. The objective of the study is to determine how judicial records are organised and preserved in relation to their accessibility and effective utilisation by judicial officers. Qualitative research methodology is used for the study; interview and observation is the only instrument used for data collection. Four judges and four litigation officers were purposively selected from the four Federal High Courts in the zone for this study. The findings of the study show that there are different types of judicial records, which include case files, registers and cause books. Judicial records are organised according to subject matter and arranged in chronological order. The major problems associated with the utilisation of the records by judicial officers include lack of adequate and continuous power supply, minimal ICT facilities, space and preservation facilities in all the courts studied. Recommendations made include the need for digitalisation of judicial records, formulation of standard records preservation policy, and provision of storage facilities including electronic storage devices.
Records Management Readiness for Open Government in the Kenyan Judiciary
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This article presents part of the results of a study that was undertaken between April and September 2014 to investigate records management practices in the Kenyan judiciary with a view to promoting transformation and facilitation of open government for effective and efficient justice delivery. The following research questions were addressed: ‘How are records created, accessed and used, stored and maintained, appraised and disposed of, and preserved?’; ‘What records management policies, plans and guidelines are available?’; ‘What skills and competencies do the records management staff have?’; ‘What is the level of awareness and attitude of staff towards sound records management practices?’; and ‘What records management strategies is the Kenyan judiciary using to achieve openness?’ The population of the study comprised court registrars, deputy registrars, records officers, registry assistants, judges and magistrates in the high court and magistrates’ courts in N...
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