Excellency Dr. Riek Machar Teny, First Vice President of the Republic of South Sudan;

Your Excellencies Vice Presidents and Chairpersons of the various Ministerial Clusters present;

Rt.Hon. Deputy Speaker of the Transitional National Legislative Assembly;

Hon. Dr Martin Elia Lomuro, Minister for Cabinet Affairs

 Hon. Justice Ruben Madol Arol, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs;

H.E. Dr. Ismail Wais, IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan

Hon. Justice James Ogoola, Chairperson of the ad hoc Judicial Reform Committee; 

Hon. Lady Justice Joyce Alouch, Deputy Chairperson of the Judicial Reform Committee;

The media fraternity;

§  Ladies and Gentlemen, 

All protocol observed. 

Good morning.

1.   I am honored to address you all this morning on behalf of H.E Amb. Maj. Gen (rtd) Charles Tai Gituai, Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (RJMEC), who is unable to be with us today due to unavoidable circumstances. 

2.   As you may be aware, the RJMEC is an institution established under Chapter 7 of the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan (R-ARCSS), with the mandate, among others, to oversee, monitor, evaluate, and report on the status of the implementation of the Peace Agreement. 

3.   The establishment of the ad hoc Judicial Reform Committee by the RTGoNU in 2022 represented a clear commitment by the government to address the pressing need for judicial reforms in the Republic of South Sudan. The JRC was mandated by the Revitalized Peace Agreement to study and make recommendations to the RTGoNU on appropriate judicial reforms for its consideration. 

4.  The Judiciary is an important arm of government, and an effective, independent, and impartial judiciary is indispensable for dispensing justice, eradicating impunity, and achieving lasting peace, stability and democratization.

5.     We understand that this is a very comprehensive report, and that it contains a number of practicable recommendations for inter alia promoting the proper administration of justice, independence of the judiciary, strengthening customary law, and establishment of the constitutional court, in the Republic of South Sudan. 

Excellencies, Honorable Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

6.   Today is therefore a very historic day, as we convene at this pivotal workshop to validate the report of the ad hoc Judicial Reform Committee (JRC). As RJMEC, we have followed very closely the important work of the JRC, from the beginning to date. 

7.   This JRC report is not just a document but it embodies the voices and aspirations of countless South Sudanese who seek a judiciary that is independent, efficient, and responsive to their needs. It also reflects their collective vision for a legal framework that upholds the rule of law and protects human rights. 

8.   As this validation process commences, let us remember that the work here has far-reaching implications, as a reformed judiciary will empower citizens, enhance accountability, and foster social cohesion in the communities in South Sudan. This is therefore an opportunity to lay the groundwork for a judicial system that not only meets the challenges of today but also anticipates the needs of future generations. It is therefore essential that the validation is approached with due diligence it deserves. 

9.   We know that a lot of grounds were covered by the JRC during this work. We take note of the many in-depth consultations undertaken during this process, the incredible amount of information obtained on the state of the judiciary and the various recommendations for reforms. 

10.   We are also seized of the many challenges the JRC encountered along the way, in particular, the insufficient funding and time pressure, which partly hampered their timely work. The final validation of its reports today is therefore a big milestone and a step forward in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement. 

11.  I want to congratulate the JRC for achieving this historic milestone. I commend the leadership of the RTGoNU, in particular Your Excellency, Salva Kiir Mayardit and your peace partners in the Presidency, for the leadership provided in the implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement to date, and for the support provided to the Hon. Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs to deliver on this mandate.

12.   We commend the IGAD Special Envoy for South Sudan, and all partners like UNDP, for supporting the JRC to successfully discharge its mandate.

13. I also thank the Hon. Chief Justice, and the Judiciary for supporting the JRC in this endeavors and hope that the recommendations obtained in this process will contribute to reforming the Judiciary into an effective, independent and impartial arm of government.

Excellencies, Honorable Ministers, Ladies and Gentlemen,

14. It is now incumbent upon the RTGoNU to adopt this report and to effectively and expeditiously implement the recommended judicial reforms to establish a first-class judiciary which is independent, impartial and capable to dispense justice to all citizens.

15. This validation is also timely, as it comes at the commencement of the new two years extension. An independent and trusted judiciary is a critical guarantor for peace and stability before, during and after elections. 

16. RJMEC is confident, that the timely implementation of the JRC report, and its inclusion in the new permanent constitution, will make the conduct of elections safer and possible at the end of this extended period.

17. I therefore want to end by congratulating their lordships, Justice James Ogoola and Lady Justice Joyce Alouch and all the members of the JRC, for their historical contribution to the establishment of this nation state, laying a foundation to a just and peaceful South Sudan.

I thank You.

END