Judicial reform will be key test in Sudan’s transition

Subject

Judicial reform prospects and challenges in Sudan.

Significance

The Sovereign Council on October 10 appointed Sudan’s first ever female chief justice, Neemat Abdullah Mohamed Kheir, an experienced judge, as well as a new prosecutor general, Taj al-Ser Ali al-Hebr, a lawyer known for his opposition to former President Omar al-Bashir’s government. These appointments are central to promised efforts to establish an independent and effective justice sector that can hold accountable those responsible for the June 3 killings of protesters, prosecute leading figures implicated in the abuses of the old regime and stem corruption.

Impacts

• The appointments could embolden the investigative committee probing the June 3 killings.
• Public perceptions of judicial reform will in large part hinge on accountability for the June 3 killings and Bashir’s prosecution.
• Confidence in the judiciary will be critical to ending impunity and building trust in democratic institutions and economic transactions.