South Sudan’s Chief Justice and President of the Supreme Court, Dr. Benjamin Baak Deng, has designated Kator County Court in Central Equatoria State to exclusively handle cases currently pending before the Juba City Council.
The decision was issued through Administrative Order No. 2/2026, dated August 12, 2026, following a recommendation submitted by Juba City Mayor Christopher Serafino Wani Swaka on July 22.
According to the administrative order, the mayor requested the designation of a court or courts with exclusive jurisdiction to deal with cases arising from the maintenance of law and order and the enforcement of disciplinary measures within Juba City.
Under the new arrangement, Kator County Court will have exclusive jurisdiction to hear, try and dispose of all backlog cases currently pending before the Juba City Council.
The Chief Justice said the decision was made under powers vested in his office by Article 127(1)(a) and (b) of the Transitional Constitution of the Republic of South Sudan, 2011, as amended, read together with Section 29 of the Judiciary Act, 2008.
The court is expected to handle the cases in accordance with the legal framework applicable to the Juba City Council and within the mandate delegated to it under the Local Government Act, 2009.
The order places Kator County Court under the direct supervision of the President of the Court of Appeal for the Greater Equatoria Circuit, who will oversee the implementation of the directive.
The President of the Court of Appeal has also been directed to provide regular updates to the Chief Justice on the progress made in clearing the backlog.
The reports will continue until all pending cases have been disposed of or the backlog no longer exists.
The Chief Justice further directed that once the cases are cleared, appropriate administrative measures may be considered to prevent the designated court from being left without cases to handle.
The decision effectively creates a dedicated judicial mechanism for dealing with cases that had accumulated before the Juba City Council, particularly those relating to municipal law and order and disciplinary enforcement.
The move is expected to strengthen the role of the formal judicial system in enforcing municipal laws and regulations while providing a structured process for resolving cases that have remained pending before the city authorities.
The designation also separates the handling of such cases from the administrative functions of the Juba City Council, placing their adjudication under a recognised judicial institution.
The order comes as Juba continues to face challenges associated with urban governance, enforcement of municipal regulations and the management of an expanding number of legal and administrative disputes within the capital.
The directive does not create a new court but assigns Kator County Court exclusive jurisdiction over the specified backlog, with the court operating within the existing judicial and legal framework.
The Chief Justice’s order therefore places responsibility for clearing the outstanding Juba City Council cases on Kator County Court, under the oversight of the Greater Equatoria Circuit Court of Appeal.
