South Sudan Bar Association signals courtroom battle
The South Sudan Bar Association has announced plans to ask the High Court to review recent traffic directives issued by Major General Kon John Akot, Director of Traffic Police, arguing that several orders clash with constitutional safeguards.
“We are committed to upholding the rule of law,” chairperson Arop Malueth told delegates at the association’s General Assembly in Juba, announcing a Public Interest Litigation and Human Rights Committee that will open in January.
Traffic Police directives under scrutiny
On Monday the traffic authority banned right-hand-drive vehicles, tinted windows, and public vans whose sliding doors open on the left, giving motorists seven days to adjust before enforcement begins.
The same memo introduced fresh fees for driving tests and shortened renewal periods for vehicle logbooks and licences, measures critics say reintroduce annual costs that parliament had already abolished.
Lawmakers challenge contested fees
Lawmaker Jiel Thow accused the police leadership of imposing rules designed to “extort money from the public,” branding the obligatory driving test certificate unlawful.
Samuel Pochori Loti, who heads the parliamentary committee on security and public order, argued the director was openly disregarding statutes, especially by ordering insurance data into traffic records.
Public reaction and legal timeline
Callers on Eye Radio’s Wednesday Dawn Show echoed lawmakers, labelling the fresh requirements an unfair financial burden at a time of rising living costs.
The Bar Association’s new committee will collect testimonies from affected motorists before filing papers, with hearings expected early next year if the court agrees to fast-track the petition.