UN-Backed Mobile Court to Provide Formal Justice in Conflict-Affected South Sudan County
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The UN Mission in South Sudan has announced the launch of a mobile court in Leer County, aimed at restoring formal justice in a conflict-affected area. This initiative, involving local authorities and UN support, focuses on serious criminal cases and aims to rebuild trust in the legal system.
Key Takeaways
- Mobile courts are being deployed to provide formal justice.
- Leer County has lacked access to justice for over a decade.
- The initiative is a collaboration among multiple governmental entities.
- Focus areas include serious crimes like SGBV and CRSV.
- Previous deployments have transformed justice delivery.
Juba, April 14 (NationPress) The United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) declared on Monday that it has facilitated the deployment of judges, prosecutors, and investigators to Leer County to administer formal justice via a mobile court.
Leer County, situated in the Unity State, Greater Upper Nile region, is one of the areas most severely impacted by conflict and has been devoid of formal justice systems for over ten years.
This initiative, a collaborative effort involving the Judiciary of South Sudan, the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, and the Unity State government, is scheduled to commence on Tuesday and will continue until May 9.
“Mobile courts, although not a replacement for formal justice frameworks, are crucial and innovative in rebuilding public trust in South Sudan's legal system,” stated Guang Cong, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General (Political) for South Sudan and Deputy Head of UNMISS, in a statement released in Juba, the capital of South Sudan.
As per the statement, the Leer mobile court will concentrate on adjudicating serious criminal matters such as murder, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (SGBV), Conflict-related Sexual Violence (CRSV), and forced or early marriage.
The deployment comes after the training of 20 new investigators in southern Unity State, with specialized training focused on addressing SGBV and CRSV cases.
On March 28, UNMISS facilitated the early setup of prosecutors and investigators to start accepting and processing criminal complaints, as reported by Xinhua news agency. More than 60 cases were reported before the court's arrival, with more filings anticipated shortly. The court is prepared to handle both criminal and civil cases.
Judges had left Unity State in 2013 due to persistent conflict and insecurity, resulting in residents relying solely on customary courts, even for serious offenses outside their jurisdiction.
These mobile courts, already deployed in Unity, Western Bahr El Ghazal, and Warrap states in 2024 and 2023, are transforming the landscape of justice delivery, altering perspectives on sexual violence and children's rights, and fostering hope within communities that fair trials are achievable and offenders will be held accountable.
