Statehood came to South Sudan in mid-2011, accompanied by international goodwill. But the conflict which erupted in late 2013 inflamed latent political and ethnic tensions. This resulted in gross human rights violations and piled further pressure onto the fledgling justice delivery system. A peace agreement was signed in August 2015 under the auspices of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and the African Union to end hostilities, and detailing the formation of a government of national unity. Justice sector institutions, including the Judiciary, the Ministry of Justice, the Private Bar and the College of Law at the University of Juba, now have a vital role to play in restoring and strengthening the rule of law, and ensuring accountability and reconciliation.
The conflict that erupted in South Sudan at the end of last year triggered sudden and massive changes throughout the fabric of South Sudanese society. It has inflamed the political and ethnic fracture lines that already existed across the country, resulting in gross human rights violations and adding pressure to an already challenged justice delivery system.
As a long-term partner of the College of Law at the University of Juba, IDLO helped align the teaching system with South Sudan's new legal context and regional standards. With the majority of its justice sector professionals educated in Islamic/civil law, South Sudan faces the dual task of increasing its overall population of qualified legal professionals and simultaneously retraining practicing lawyers and prosecutors.
Juba, South Sudan - 30 January 2012 - the Judiciary of South Sudan (JoSS) and the International Development Law Organization (IDLO) launched a four-week training course on substantive law and legal English for 25 County Court and High Court Judges from South Sudan’s Greater Bahr el-Ghazal, Greater Upper Nile, and Greater Equatoria Appellate Circuits.
How do you enshrine the rule of law in a nation that did not exist a year ago? One that is, moreover, riddled with economic and security challenges? Add a change of official language into the mix, and the job may seem little short of daunting.
Today (Friday April 19) marks a milestone in IDLO’s involvement in South Sudan, as the final sixteen-strong class graduates from one of the organization’s most transformative courses. With funding from the US State Department through its law enforcement arm (INL), the training has covered both the fundamentals of common law and what is known as ‘legal English’.
IDLO is working with the Ministry of Justice to develop training methodology and curricula for both general and specialized, skills-based courses for Ministry of Justice public prosecutors, legal counsels and public and private lawyers, and members of civil society organizations. By developing legal training materials for justice professionals and working to establish a pool of qualified national trainers to engage in future legal training activities, IDLO is supporting the establishment of a Legal Training Institute.
With a reliable justice system, the Judiciary of South Sudan plays a vital role to secure lasting peace and stability in South Sudan. To this end, IDLO is working with the Judiciary of South Sudan to enhance the capacity of judges, judicial support staff and judicial assistants in procedural, substantive legal subjects and English language skills. This capacity building serves to improve the quality and delivery of judicial services in line with the country’s laws and international standards.
The National Constitutional Review Commission of South Sudan continues to consult with stakeholders and the public on the development of a Permanent Constitution for South Sudan. In the past, IDLO supported the National Constitutional Review Commission by providing technical expertise in particular aspects of the Constitution’s structure and substance. IDLO provided ongoing secretarial support to the coordination of the Commission’s activities.
 Event
26 January, 2021 |
