South Sudan’s justice system was left in tatters after decades of civil war, leaving marginalized communities with only limited access to formal courts. As reliance on traditional courts often proves insufficient for complex cases, many cases have been put on hold indefinitely.

In Greater Pibor, the absence of a permanent formal justice has led to many negative consequences.

“The lack of rule of rule of law is a key driver of insecurity, leading communities to resolve disputes through any means they deem necessary,” stated High Court Judge Sebit Bullen. “For many, these means are revenge killings and age-set fighting, with the latter having become increasingly violent over the past months.”

To prevent conflict and strengthen stability, an UNMISS-supported mobile court was deployed to the Greater Pibor Administrative Area for twenty-two days to process more than 400 cases that had not been heard.

So far, the court has resolved 37 cases, comprising 22 criminal and 15 civil hearings. While many are still to be heard, beneficiaries of this process are welcoming the return of justice to a place where it has been absent for far too long.

“I am satisfied that we have had access to legal recourse. The judgement rendered in the murder of my sister’s son is just,” says complainant James Baba Thabeono.

“In addition to the prison sentence, the offender’s obligation to pay 50 cows as blood compensation demonstrates the efficacy of the law. This outcome proves the usefulness of the legal system, rendering the practice of taking the law into our own hands obsolete.”