S. Sudan: 25 legal support staff complete training

By Julius N. Uma

November 19, 2011 (JUBA) — Twenty five legal support staff from the South Sudan’s justice ministry have successfully completed three weeks of intensive training conducted by RCN Justice and Démocratie, a Belgium government funded organisation.

While speaking during a graduation ceremony in Juba, the South Sudan capital, Christopher Laki, the director of training and research in the Ministry of Justice underscored the need to improve the rule of law in the country, urging more donors to support the initiative.

“There is need for the support staff to be trained in legal English for at least 3 months to enable them work together with the legal counsel,” he said, pledging his ministry’s continued commitment to support the justice system.

Awak Bior, a technical advisor at the European Union (EU), who represented the donors also appealed to those trained to share the knowledge and skills acquired with those who may have not benefited from the training.

Bior said although the EU, in the recent past, had not directly funded RCN Justice and Démocratie, the organisation has consistently supported several programmes in relation to justice and the rule of law.

Meanwhile, Phillip Manyok, a representative of the trainees lauded the justice ministry, donors and the trainers, but called for more focus on long term training for legal supports staff across the 10 states of South Sudan.

(ST)