The recently launched mobile court in Western Bahr el Ghazal State is progressing well with its work and has already put a dent in the case backlog in Wau, a court official said.
Peter Mustafa, a judicial officer, told Radio Tamazuj on Thursday that since the mobile court commenced work last week, judges have dispensed with several serious cases.
“Since we started our mobile court here in Wau on 4 November, we are progressing well. In a week, we have handled seven rape cases and two murder cases,” he said. “By the end of this month, we hope to clear many cases because we hear between 40 and 50 cases every day.”
Last week, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in partnership with the Judiciary of South Sudan and the Directorate of Legal Administration and Public Prosecution, launched a 30-day Mobile Court Initiative in Wau and Raja Counties of Western Bahr el Ghazal State.
The mobile court is led by two High Court judges, including the President of the Court of Appeal for the Bahr el Ghazal Circuit, Justice Andrew Joshua Lado.
The initiative is designed to reduce the backlog of criminal cases, address prolonged pre-trial detention, strengthen the protection of victims’ rights, and promote accountability, the rule of law, and access to justice across the state.
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