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Brief

Four-day workshop on legal aid held in South Sudan

Gender Equality & GBV - South Sudan - Legal Aid & Empowerment

Between April and October 2022, the lawyers and legal officers operating the Justice Confidence Centres in Juba, Wau and Malakal have provided legal representation in 67 cases of gender-based violence, and legal assistance and advice in 10 additional casesThe cases undertaken range from the representation of victims of rape, including children, and of victims of domestic violence, to assistance on questions of inheritance and alimony.

From 21 to 24 November 2022, the lawyers and legal officers met for the second time for a four-day workshop in Juba, where they discussed the challenges they face in their daily work. These include location-specific issues such as the absence of a permanent High Court Judge in Malakal or the extensive use of pre-trial detention for women accused of adultery in Wau, to nationwide challenges such as the lack of harmonized sentencing guidelines or the overcrowding of prisons. These topics will be tackled by LAW and SSLS in future advocacy. The workshop also included in depth sessions tailored to the needs of the team, on gender-based violence case management, engaging with minors, and how to identify and undertake cases of trafficking in person and sexual exploitation and abuse. The three Justice Confidence Centres are operated by the South Sudan Law Society and LAW, and funded by the European Union.