Kajo-Keji County Lacks Resident Judge, Civil Society Raises Concern

(KAJO-KEJI COUNTY) – A civil society activist in Kajo-Keji County of Central Equatoria State is calling on state and county authorities to urgently deploy a resident public judge and prosecutor to address a growing backlog of cases and strengthen the rule of law in the area.

In July 2025, President Salva Kiir promoted 39 judges in a major judicial reshuffle aimed at improving South Sudan’s legal system and addressing long-standing challenges in the delivery of justice.

The promotions were announced in a presidential decree aired on the South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC). According to the decree, six judges from the Court of Appeal were appointed to the Supreme Court. Eighteen judges were elevated from the High Court to the Court of Appeal, while fifteen First Grade County Court judges were promoted to the High Court.

However, despite the national-level reforms, Kajo-Keji County remains without a resident public judge.

Speaking to Access Radio on Wednesday afternoon, Babu Daniel Giryang, Chairperson of the Kajo-Keji County Civil Society Forum, said the county has been operating without a magistrate for several years.

He noted that the absence of a judge has led to prolonged detentions and case backlogs.

“The only issue affecting us in Kajo-Keji County as civil society is the lack of a court magistrate for all this long time. There are cases where people are detained in police without trial, and keeping suspects in police for more than three months is a big problem. We have also realized that people who committed crimes in the community escape from detention because there is no magistrate to address these challenges in the county.”

According to Babu, deploying a public judge and prosecutor would significantly improve justice delivery and reinforce the rule of law in the county.

He added that most legal cases, including those involving human rights violations, are currently being handled at the County C Court under the administration of a paramount chief.

The civil society network says it has repeatedly raised the matter with county authorities and continues to await a response.