Africa-Press – South-Sudan. Northern Bahr el Ghazal State has introduced a mobile court system to address a growing backlog of cases that has strained the state’s judicial processes. The new arrangement features a four-member judicial committee that will move across the four counties to hear and determine cases closer to where people live.
Residents have welcomed the initiative, saying it will significantly ease the burden of traveling long distances to access justice. Many litigants have struggled to reach courtrooms located far from rural areas and county headquarters, leading to prolonged delays in case processing.
Simon Garang Bol, a resident of Aweil North County, praised the move as timely and impactful.
“This is a very useful decision from the judicial officials,” Garang said. “Traveling from villages to the county headquarters—such as from any payam to Gok-Machar—takes weeks or even months for a case to get a verdict. This initiative will help address those challenges.”
He added that communities are eager to see the mobile courts begin their work: “We are happy with this decision and want these representatives of the judges to start moving from one county to another.”
Another resident, Mary Adiing, noted that the initiative will reduce transportation costs for many families who previously had to rely on their own means to reach distant courts.
“We go to court using our own means of transport, and it is very costly. This will be a relief to all of us,” she said.
Adiing appealed to the four-member committee—comprising judges and legal officers assigned to Aweil East, Aweil North, Aweil South, Aweil Centre, and Aweil West—to ensure timely hearings and avoid further delays.
The introduction of mobile courts comes at a time when the number of cases in Northern Bahr el Ghazal is rising, particularly those related to land disputes, marriage conflicts, and divorces.
Mobile courts have been used in other parts of South Sudan, including Upper Nile and Unity states, where they have helped address communal violence and serious criminal cases. In a recent example in Unity State, several South Sudan People’s Defence Forces (SSPDF) officers were stripped of their ranks, and others were sentenced following mobile court proceedings.
As Northern Bahr el Ghazal rolls out its new system, residents hope the mobile courts will offer faster, more accessible justice and ease the long-standing backlog.
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