Second Workshop with the Supreme Court of South Sudan Conducted Successfully in Juba

The Foundation carries out second workshop aiming at enhancing the technical legal capacity of the Supreme Court of South Sudan

Between 23–25 June 2015, the Max Planck Foundation, in cooperation with the Supreme Court of South Sudan, delivered the second out of four planned workshops aimed at enhancing the technical legal capacity of the Supreme Court of South Sudan. In particular, the workshops seek to strengthen the capacity of the Supreme Court to fulfil its mandate under the first and second paragraph of Article 126 of the Transitional Constitution of South Sudan that, inter alia, empower the Supreme Court to act as a constitutional court. The latest workshop, entitled “Principles and Methods of Constitutional Adjudication,” took place in Juba and was delivered by Honourable Justice Galdino Moro Okello, member of the Supreme Court of Uganda, in cooperation with Max Planck Research Fellows.

The workshop examined international standards of judicial independence and the existing legal framework in several African jurisdictions, including South Sudan. It also analysed general aspects of judicial legitimacy with an emphasis on the legitimacy of the judiciary towards the legislature and the executive. Finally, the third day covered theoretical and practical approaches to constitutional interpretation.

The workshop was inaugurated by Hon. Chan Reec Madut, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Sudan, Hon. Galdino Moro Okello, Justice of the Supreme Court of Uganda, and a representative of the Max Planck Foundation.

The objective of the workshop was to contribute to the advancement of the principles of constitutionalism, rule of law, and good governance in South Sudan.
The workshop series for the South Sudan Supreme Court comprises the first out of two components of an overall programme for “Technical Support to the Supreme Court of South Sudan,” which is funded by the German Foreign Office and implemented by the Max Planck Foundation.