By Mary Poni
The Revitalised Transitional National Legislative Assembly (R-TNLA) has finally ratified the national police service act (Amendment Bill 2022) yesterday after a thorough deliberation.
The bill was re-tabled in its third and final reading stages at the August house yesterday during the ordinary sitting No. 23/2022 and eventually passed after a long waiting.
Once assented by the President, it will officially become a law guiding the work of the national police service in the country.
Speaking to the media shortly after the sitting, the chairperson of information committee at the R-TNLA, John Agany Deng said the bill was very important because it has organized the police services activities and it also gives the ranks and responsibilities to the national police service at all levels in country.
“With a lot of comments from the members, the bill have been passed to an act and it will make its way to the presidency so that President Kiir can sign it and make it a law,” he said.
The information committee chair at the R-TNLA underscored that it was good that the amendment bill has been harmonized with the constitution because when the law was previously passed into an act, it got the country under a regional government.
“We have amended it to confirm with the constitution and the title of the bill will remain as South Sudan National Police Service Act with all the responsibilities and the assignments that are assigned to the police service program in the country,” he said.
John said the members of parliament acknowledged that the forum have exhaustively discussed issues which are burning and some of the issues were that the police service will be given the immunity to operate when discharging their duties.
He stated that the bill amended has been deliberated and finally people have gotten the common ground that the law must see light within the angle of law.
Bill stated that the police will not be allowed to take decisions which are not confirmative with the constitution and the service must follow categorically implement the law as the constitution and the act advised to do so.
“I hope our police will continue to protect the integrity, the rights of the citizens including their properties in the country,” he said.
The chairperson of the committee on national security and public order in the transitional national legislative assembly, Simon Kun Puoch said the significance of the bill in the recommendation made by the August house during its second reading was to establish and provide citizens-oriented rule of law, respect for human rights including child rights.