Africa-Press – South-Sudan. A prominent human rights activist has called on South Sudan’s Chief Justice to urgently deploy newly promoted judges to underserved states where justice delivery has been severely hindered due to a lack of judicial personnel.
Deng John Deng, Director of the African Center for Studies, appealed for the recent promotion of more than 30 judges by President Salva Kiir.
The appointments, announced on Wednesday, included promotions from the Court of Appeal to the Supreme Court, from the High Court to the Court of Appeal, and from County and First-Degree Courts to the High Court.
Deng said several states, including Unity, Upper Nile, and Western Equatoria, continue to operate without key judicial officials, resulting in case backlogs and overcrowded prisons.
“We appeal to the Chief Justice to distribute the High Court judges who were promoted on Wednesday to be deployed in the states that do not have High Court judges,” Deng said.
“Unity State lacks a High Court or a County Judge, and Upper Nile State does not have a High Court judge yet.”
He further noted that Western Equatoria had only one first-degree judge, who has now been promoted to the High Court, leaving a gap in the county court system.
“Western Equatoria State had a first-degree judge who was promoted to a High Court judge, which means that the state needs judges in the county courts,” Deng explained.
The activist also pointed to a broader, national shortage of judicial personnel across all levels of the justice system.
“There is a shortage of first-, second-, and third-class county court judges, judicial assistants, and Supreme Court judges,” he said.
Deng’s remarks come as the Judicial Service Commission moves forward with efforts to strengthen the judiciary ahead of the Independence Day holiday. In 2023, the Commission received 525 applications for the position of judicial assistant, and the list of successful candidates is expected to be published soon.
“Before the Independence Day holiday, the judiciary in South Sudan announced its need to appoint judges in various courts and levels,” Deng said.
“About 525 candidates have already applied for the position of judicial assistant in the year 2023, and a list of the names of those accepted will be published.”
Judicial reform and access to justice remain key issues in South Sudan, where years of conflict and underinvestment have left critical gaps in the rule of law and legal infrastructure.
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