Today we’re publishing the second of our series of exclusive interviews with esteemed African judges. The interviews, which will run for the next few weeks, are part of our popular #MyJustice series that aims to shine a spotlight on sung and unsung heroes working to make the world a more peaceful, just and inclusive place.
Justice Dr James Alala Deng is a member of the South Sudan Supreme Court. We’ve covered previously efforts to create a hybrid court which could provide accountability for some of the past human rights abuses. Judge Deng tells us that despite all the obvious challenges and setbacks, justice is still possible in Africa’s youngest democracy:
Justice Hub: What does justice means to you?
Justice is everything. Justice is life and without justice, there is no life because it maintains a peaceful existence among the people of one nation, one society, one community and so on. So if there is no peace then we will be living a false life where there is no law, where the stronger will eat the weaker. So we see the necessity of justice.
With justice you maintain and secure the things where a human being is able to produce to advance is/her life. You can’t produce anything whenever there is no justice which means peace and justice goes with peace. They are two sides of one coin.
Justice Hub: Is justice possible in South Sudan?
Yes, off course. The South Sudanese are also well civilised. They are now enjoying their independence. Regardless of what is going on, we can still say that justice is important.
The series of interviews with African judges were conducted in collaboration with the African Foundation for International Law and edited lightly for clarity.
More of the portraits are available here:
Somali Chief justice Ibrahim Iidle Saleeban: Peace cannot come without justice https://justicehub.org/article/somali-chief-justice-ibrahim-iidle-saleeb…
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