By Deng Ghai Deng
Jonglei State High Court President , John Yel Aleu, praised the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for its continued commitment to strengthening the rule of law and promoting human rights.
The commendation followed a donation on Thursday in Bor, which included essential logistical materials such as record books, file folders, raincoats, and gumboots aimed at improving the court’s operational efficiency.
Justice Yel expressed gratitude for the support, noting the critical need for these materials to maintain comprehensive and accurate court records.
“Court records are not for temporary use like 2 or 10 days; they are to be kept for ten years and more, for generations. We need a strong recording system so that future generations can refer to the records for review. We are grateful, and with this support, our work will be stable,” said Justice Yel.
Justice Yel also acknowledged previous support from UNDP, including the provision of two vehicles for inmate transport and office operations.
He urged other well-wishers and partners to help renovate the Jonglei High Court offices, which were damaged during the 2013 crisis.
“I appeal to well-wishers and other partners to continue supporting us, especially with the renovation of our offices in the Tibek area, which were damaged during the 2013 crisis. We are grateful to UNDP; they have done their part, and I hope other partners and well-wishers can do theirs,” he added.
Peruth Karungi, a Security Specialist with UNDP in Jonglei, stated that the donation is part of the UNDP’s Access to Justice, Security, and Human Rights Strengthening Programme, funded by the Multi-Partner Trust Fund’s “Community Violence Reduction Phase 2” project.
This programme aims to enhance the capacities of justice and security institutions to provide accountable, effective, and equitable services, addressing gender disparities.
“We have managed to support the High Court with 3,000 file folders of different categories—civil, criminal—realizing they did not have these files, and case papers would get lost, leading to case backlogs. With these, we know they will be identified by color and category of crime, making it easier to track cases and administer justice. This will lead to a reduction in violence,” said Karungi.
Karungi highlighted that the management of court records had been a persistent challenge for the Jonglei State Judiciary, with issues such as missing or misplaced files, incomplete records, and poor physical file conditions delaying the administration of justice and contributing to a backlog of cases.
The new supplies are expected to tackle persistent challenges faced by the Jonglei State Judiciary, including incomplete records and poor file conditions, thus facilitating a more efficient and timely administration of justice.