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South Sudan Bar celebrates its first year with inaugural Annual General Assembly and anniversary dinner
Last week in Juba, the capital of South Sudan, the young nation’s lawyers came together, along with dignitaries from across East Africa, to learn, network, discuss important pricing regulations, and celebrate the first anniversary of the South Sudan Bar Association.
As Africa’s youngest nation, South Sudan carries immense promise, and a strong, ethical, and independent Bar is key to nurturing institutions that will support growth, justice, and stability for generations to come, said Ramadhan Abubakar, President of the East Africa Law Society, after he attended the first-ever Annual General Assembly of the South Sudan Bar Association (SSBA), held in Juba on 18 December. .
Established in 2024 under the Advocates Act 2013, which provides the legal framework for regulating the nation’s legal profession, the SSBA marked a historic milestone last week by hosting its first Annual General Assembly at the Nyakuron Cultural Centre on Thursday, followed on Friday by a prestigious anniversary dinner to celebrate its first year of dedicated service to the nation and the pursuit of justice.
The East Africa Law Society (EALS) also organised a side training on Friday at the University of South Sudan, for a few hundred members of the South Sudan Bar, on East African Community law. That capacity-building programme was about more than knowledge, said EALS; it was designed to empower South Sudan lawyers to engage the region’s legal framework, access the East African Court of Justice, support cross-border trade, and advance the rule of law across East Africa.
Abubakar said the training programme underscored the spirit of regional solidarity, and reaffirmed EALS commitment to regional integration and capacity building.
Along with Abubakar, Uganda Law Society President Isaac Ssemakadde and Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo were also in attendance to support the SSBA’s first Annual General Assembly, themed “Reaffirming Professional Ethics in the Legal Profession”. The Executive body tabled a report on the SSBA’s first year, and the General Assembly addressed and discussed a number of issues of importance to the nascent Bar, including the Advocates Remuneration Regulations, a framework to determine and standardise the fees that advocates may charge their clients.
Ssemakadde, the current Uganda Law Society President still in self-imposed exile following his alleged targeting by certain members of the Ugandan judiciary, thanked the SSBA for its unforgettable welcome, and the “remarkable warmth and affection” of the Juba legal community. He predicted the friendship between SSBA and EALS would grow “even more robust in the times to come”.
It was deeply encouraging to witness a legal profession consciously laying its key foundations at such a formative and defining stage, added Abubakar. “Heartfelt congratulations to the South Sudan Bar for the successful convening of their first General Assembly, and special recognition to Mr Arop Malueth, President of the South Sudan Bar, for his outstanding leadership during this historic moment!”