Kiir to reinstate judges he ‘illegally’ dismissed in 2017

JUBA – South Sudan’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, has directed the ministry of justice to start the process of reinstating back judges he illegally dismissed in 2017, according to a statement by the minister of justice.

In 2017, around 13 judges were dismissed by the President after they protested in demand for the resignation and dismissal of the Chief Justice of South Sudan Chan Reec Madut for allegedly failing to manage the country’s judicial institutions.

In July 2020, the East African court ruled that the judges were dismissed illegally and ordered South Sudan’s President Kiir to immediately reinstate back the dismissed judges into their previous positions.

Since then, the reinstatement of the judges back into their positions has been a matter of speculations.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Minister of Justice & Constitutional Affairs Ruben Madol Arol said President Kiir has ordered for the reinstatement of the judges and that the 13 judges which were illegally missed were called upon to apply for reinstatement.

“Based on the directives from the Office of His Excellency the President of the Republic on the ruling of the application filed by Justice Malek Mathiang before the East African Court of Justice, and in the manner of implementation of that ruling, the dismissed Justices and Judges may apply to the Judiciary and Justice Service Commission for reinstatement into their previous positions,” said the statement signed by Madol.