Corrupt judicial officers will not be tolerated, says deputy chief justice

By Awan Achiek

The Deputy Chief Justice John Gatwech Lul has warned that the judiciary will not tolerate bribery when it comes to handling cases.

 “There is no leadership of judiciary that will say I allowed bribery, of course that is not allowed,” Gatwech said during a consultative meeting with the Ministry of Cabinet Affairs in Juba on Friday.

Justice Gatwech cautioned the judiciary against accepting bribes, saying those engaging in the vice would be dismissed or prosecuted.

“If somebody can prove that so and so has been getting bribes from others, let him prove it to us you will see tomorrow that we have dismissed that person and will be no longer a judge, we can even arrest and imprison the person leave alone dismissing him,” he said.

Justice James Ogoola, the Chairperson of the Judicial Reform Committee (JRC) said the committee will help to reduce or eliminate those bad influences in the judiciary

“In all countries and all jurisdictions things like those exist, so it is our role here as a committee to help to reduce if not to eliminate those bad influences on the judiciary,” he said.

Ogoola said that the judiciary must remain steadfast in upholding its independence, professionalism, and impartiality to be able to serve justice for all.

“The judiciary must be clean, must be qualified, must be professional and must be up to date, must be impartial, and independent, those are the qualities that form judiciary for any people or any country,” he said.