Judicial Reform Committee of South Sudan

Judicial Reform Committee of South Sudan
AbbreviationJRC
FormationJuly 28, 2022; 2 years ago (2022-07-28)
Location
FieldsLegal reform
Chairperson
James Ogoola
Deputy Chairperson
Joyce Aluoch
Websitejrc.org.ss

The Judicial Reform Committee of South Sudan (JRC) was launched by the Government of South Sudan on 28 July 2022 to review laws, and to advise on judicial reforms and restructuring of the judiciary.[1]

Background

The JRC was established under the Revitalized (power sharing) Agreement for the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, which was signed on 12 September 2018 and has the same force as a constitution. The JRC was commissioned in Juba in July 2022.[2]

The JRC was formed in the context of continued violence following the independence of South Sudan in 2011, combined with shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic, exceptional flooding, and food and fuel scarcity due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. All of these have caused growing crime and disputes. The majority of problems are resolved through traditional systems, but there are still almost two million unresolved legal issues annually.[1]

The JRC describes its mandate as; "Make recommendations to the RTGoNU[a] that will inform judicial reforms and restructuring of the judiciary. Working towards the separation of powers, independence of the judiciary and the supremacy of the rule of law in South Sudan".[3]

Personnel

As of 2022 the JRC was chaired by Lord Justice James Ogoola (Uganda) with deputy chair Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch (Kenya).[4] In January 2023 Justice Ajonye Perpetua was Head of Secretariat of the JRC.[5]

According to its website, the JRC has twelve members:[6]

The JRC has five working groups and a secretariat, supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Japan, the European Union and the Kingdom of Netherlands.[6] The working groups are responsible for Judicial Structure, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Judicial Service Commission, Training, capacity building and Technology, Constitutional court-[7]

Activities

In 2023 the committee consulted with stakeholders in areas such as Western Bahr el Ghazal, Western Equatoria, Upper Nile State, and the Greater Pibor Administrative Area. They talked to administrators, politicians, lawyers, women, youth and so on to obtain views from all sectors of society.[8]

The third JRC workshop was conducted by the Max Planck Foundation for International Peace and the Rule of Law over three days in May 2023. It covered The Structure of the Judiciary in Federal Systems of Government. Committee members reviewed and discussed different systems adopted by different countries, and thoughts on which model would best suit South Sudan.[9]

Notes

  1. ^ RTGoNU: Revitalized Transitional Government of National Unity

References

  1. ^ a b Evelyn Edroma (30 August 2022), South Sudan's Judicial Reform Committee Heralds Hope for the Justice Sector, UNDP, retrieved 2023-09-25
  2. ^ LADY JUSTICE JOYCE ALUOCH APPOINTED MEMBER OF THE JUDICIAL REFORM COMMITTEE FOR SOUTH SUDAN, African Arbitration Association, 24 March 2023, retrieved 2023-10-04
  3. ^ About Us, JRC, retrieved 2023-10-04
  4. ^ Inauguration of JRC, key milestone in the implementation of the R-ARCSS, Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), 28 July 2022, retrieved 2023-01-02
  5. ^ Final Minutes of the 27th meeting of the RJMEC, RJMEC, 2 March 2023, p. 3, retrieved 2023-09-25
  6. ^ a b Structure, JRC, retrieved 2023-10-04
  7. ^ Structure, JRC, retrieved 2023-10-04
  8. ^ Judicial Reform Committee holds consultations, Radio Tamazuj, 4 July 2023, retrieved 2023-10-04
  9. ^ Third Workshop for the Judicial Reform Committee of South Sudan, Max Planck Foundation, 12 May 2023, retrieved 2023-10-04