President Salva Kiir holds a report on South Sudan’s ongoing judicial service reforms, designed to improve access to justice nationwide – Courtesy of PPU - date; December 20, 2024

President Salva Kiir has been presented with a detailed report on ongoing judicial service reforms in South Sudan aimed at improving access to justice.

The report was delivered during a meeting attended by First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar, Justice Minister Reuben Madol Arol, and senior Ministry of Justice officials.

Justice James Ogola, Chairperson of the Judicial Reform Committee, highlighted the role of South Sudan’s cultural diversity in shaping the reforms.

He outlined plans to address case backlogs by increasing the number of judges, modernizing court infrastructure, and transitioning to a digital judicial system.

Additionally, the reforms focus on enhancing legal resources, including libraries and technology, and improving training for judicial personnel to boost efficiency.

“There are many other issues about the judiciary, many other things like the number of judges, the infrastructure, the courtrooms, the libraries, the books, the equipment, moving from a system of no computers to digital, training the manpower, and the human resources. So, all these we have looked at very closely,” Ogola stated.

Justice Minister Reuben Madol Arol has described the recent judicial reform report as a clear and practical blueprint for restructuring South Sudan’s judiciary.

Speaking on state TV SSBC in Juba yesterday, Minister Arol emphasized the report’s comprehensive approach to improving the judicial system, which includes addressing case backlogs, modernizing infrastructure, and enhancing judicial personnel training to ensure greater efficiency and access to justice.

“Judicial reform had always been a dream, had always been a challenge, and here we are today with a blueprint that should enable us, as South Sudanese, to start in a much more clear and practical way of reforming our justice and restructuring our justice sector,” Justice Madol stated.

“You can’t do that unless you reform the judiciary, because the judiciary is at the heart of the whole of the justice sector and the legal system for the people of South Sudan,” he said.

However, according to the statement by the office of the president, Kiir has praised the efforts of the Judicial Reform Committee and reaffirmed his government’s commitment to implementing the reforms aimed at strengthening the rule of law in South Sudan.

The reforms, which align with the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, are expected to improve access to justice for underserved communities and modernize the judiciary to meet international standards.

Justice Minister Reuben Madol Arol emphasized that the reforms reflect the voices of the South Sudanese people, marking a crucial step in the nation’s ongoing peacebuilding efforts.

The changes aim to address case backlogs, enhance court infrastructure, and ensure efficient judicial service delivery nationwide.