South Sudan’s Chief Justice, Chan Reec Madut, has been implicated in serious corruption allegations since independence. Some relate to the recruitment process within the judiciary. Others relate to overstepping the bounds of his judicial role by encroaching on the executive’s domain.
In 2013, for example, Chief Justice Madut appointed 78 legal assistants, including his daughter, without following the proper recruitment processes. The legal assistants were handpicked, not hired on merit.
These issues of corruption within the judiciary have prompted some judges to resign from office. Justice Clement Kuc was the first to resign in 2013. In his resignation letter (reported by various news outlets), he accused Madut of “nepotism, favouritism, and lack of strategic direction” for the judiciary.