By Emmanuel Mandella and James Chatim
In a bid to fast-track justice and sector governance, the Judiciary officially launched its Strategic Plan for 2025–2029, an ambitious blueprint designed to strengthen judicial independence, end impunity, and bring the rule of law closer to the people.
The event, held in Juba, was graced by Lothar Jaschke, Deputy Head of the EU Delegation, who reaffirmed the European Union’s steadfast support in building an accountable and effective judiciary.
The strategic plan is anchored in the key findings of the Judicial Reform Committee (JRC), validated in October 2024, which laid out 15 bold recommendations ranging from judicial restructuring, improved training, infrastructure development, to safeguarding judicial independence from political interference.
“Without the rule of law, peace cannot be sustained, human rights cannot be realized, and economic development will be stifled, who would invest in a country without a credible judiciary and without guarantee that the law will be upheld?” Jaschke declared.
Jaschke emphasized that reform is not just a technical process but a moral and social obligation. It aims to rebuild public trust in the justice system and ensure that every citizen, regardless of their status, has equal access to justice.
“Judicial reform is about public trust, about the rights and dignity of every citizen. It’s about ending impunity. It’s about making sure that justice does not wear a blindfold to ignore the weak, but rather to be fair to all”.
One of the most pressing concerns highlighted in the JRC’s report is the interference of executive bodies in judicial processes, a factor seen as undermining the courts’ credibility and impartiality.
“A well-functioning and effective judiciary must be independent and impartial,” said Jaschke, stressing that accountability and fairness are the cornerstones of lasting peace.
The strategic plan also aligns with key provisions of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement, particularly in its call for justice reform as a pillar for sustainable peace, constitutional reform, and inclusive governance.
At the grassroots level, these reforms promise to revolutionize access to justice. With support from the Max Planck Foundation under the EU-funded project Supporting Constitution-Making, Legal Harmonization and Judicial Reform in South Sudan, court systems across the country especially at the High and lower court levels will see improved capacity, efficiency, and responsiveness to ordinary citizens.
“People in remote areas must no longer feel that justice is a luxury for the powerful,” said a local lawyer attending the launch. “This plan must bring justice closer to the boda-boda rider, the market woman, and the displaced child. That is the real test of reform.”
The European Union has been a key partner in legal transformation efforts since South Sudan’s independence in 2011. Through training of judges, legal professionals, and court officials, the EU’s technical assistance is helping lay a foundation for a judiciary that is not only functional but fair.
Jaschke concluded with an appeal, saying: “Let us look into justice’s beautiful face. Today is not just about a document it is about the soul of a nation finding its moral compass again”.