Judiciary establishes specialized Commercial Court to speed up business dispute resolution
South Sudan’s Judiciary has established a specialised Commercial Court in Juba to expedite the resolution of business disputes and ensure timely justice in cases involving commercial transactions, companies and business-related matters.
Deputy Chief Justice Laku Tranquilo Nyombe said the court was established to deal specifically with commercial cases falling within the exclusive jurisdiction of the High Court, in accordance with the Civil Procedure Act, 2007.
“Concerning the commercial court, we are launching today, it is one of the specialized courts with a special jurisdiction that deals with certain types of cases,” Justice Nyombe said during the official launch in Juba.
He cited Section 20, Subsection 2(a) of the Civil Procedure Act, 2007, which gives the High Court exclusive jurisdiction over suits connected with commercial transactions, companies, trademarks and business names.
“The purpose of establishing this special commercial court in Juba is to expedite the disposal of suits connected with commercial transactions and have timely justice,” he said.
The court was officially launched yesterday in a ceremony attended by the Chief Justice, the Minister of Finance, the Governor of the Bank of South Sudan, representatives of the Bar Association and commercial banks, among other officials.
It will be presided over by four judges, with Judge Obaj Dinyong appointed as its head. The other judges are Ajok Tito, Alfred Lado and Nyang Wol.
Justice Nyombe explained that specialised courts have limited jurisdiction and are established to handle specific categories of cases rather than the broader range of matters handled by ordinary courts.
He also noted that the Judiciary occasionally receives applications from different groups seeking the establishment of additional specialised courts in Juba.
“We do receive from time to time some applications from others for the establishment of some specialized courts in Juba. What I want to tell others to note is that specialized courts are courts of special and limited jurisdiction dealing with certain types of cases,” he said.
The establishment of the Commercial Court is expected to improve the handling of business disputes, strengthen the enforcement of commercial agreements and provide greater confidence for investors and the business community.
The move also marks an effort by the Judiciary to improve the administration of commercial justice by providing a dedicated judicial mechanism for resolving business-related disputes.
