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New editioncountry guide

The South Sudan Legal System

A complete plain-language guide to Republic of South Sudan

4.4(1690 reviews)From $29
Edition
2026 Edition
Extent
2830 pages
Language
English
ISBN
978-1-0000-250-1

About this book

A structured tour of how law actually works in South Sudan — where it comes from, who makes it, which court hears what, and how an ordinary person or business interacts with the system. Written for readers with no legal training, with every institution named and every primary source cited so you can verify the position yourself. The world's newest sovereign legal system, independent since July 2011, and one built on a deliberate break from Khartoum: English was adopted as the official language and the common law as the model, displacing the Arabic-language Islamic-influenced system inherited from unified Sudan. The Judiciary Act and the Code of Civil Procedure follow common-law patterns, and precedent is recognised. Customary law is not residual here but central — the Transitional Constitution expressly recognises it as a source, statutory customary law courts operate at local level, and the great majority of disputes, particularly over marriage, cattle and land, are resolved through them. Land is vested in the people with community, public and private categories, and the tension between customary tenure and investment leases is the dominant property question.

What is inside

  • Full South Sudan court hierarchy explained tier by tier
  • Named regulators with contact routes and response times
  • Step-by-step procedures for the most common legal tasks
  • Every claim footnoted to an official primary source
  • Glossary of local legal terminology in plain English

Table of contents

5 parts · 18 chapters

Part I — Foundations

  1. 01The legal tradition
  2. 02Constitutional framework
  3. 03Sources of law

Part II — Institutions

  1. 01The court hierarchy
  2. 02Government and regulators
  3. 03Enforcement bodies
  4. 04The legal profession

Part III — Everyday Law

  1. 01Work and employment
  2. 02Housing and property
  3. 03Family and personal status
  4. 04Criminal process

Part IV — Doing Things

  1. 01Starting a business
  2. 02Immigration and residence
  3. 03Tax obligations
  4. 04Making a complaint

Part V — Reference

  1. 01Procedure checklists
  2. 02Glossary
  3. 03Official sources index

Who this is for

  • Residents and newcomers who need to understand their rights
  • Businesses entering or operating in the jurisdiction
  • Lawyers taking a first look at an unfamiliar system
  • Students of comparative law

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