Prof. Kuel Maluil Jok represents individuals, families and organisations, and writes legal opinions for courts and institutions. The areas below are where most enquiries fall; if yours is not listed, write anyway.
Defence of people accused of offences before the courts of South Sudan and Sudan, from the first police summons to appeal. Prof. Jok has written on both countries' criminal law: on the Penal Code and customary compensation in South Sudan, and on Sudan's Criminal Act of 1991 and its Sharia-derived penalties. He also advises families abroad whose relatives are detained or charged at home, and acts in matters that cross borders, including extradition and international crimes.
Marriage, divorce, custody, maintenance and inheritance under statutory law, customary law and, in Sudan, Sharia-based personal law. Many family matters in South Sudan turn on customary marriage and bridewealth, and many matters for people abroad turn on how a marriage or divorce concluded at home is recognised elsewhere. Prof. Jok acts in these cases and writes opinions on them for foreign courts and authorities.
Ownership, boundaries, leases, evictions and inheritance of land in South Sudan and Sudan, where statutory title, community land and customary rights overlap and where many owners now live abroad. Prof. Jok acts in land disputes before the courts and advises diaspora owners on protecting and recovering property at home, including dealings with land authorities in Juba and the states.
Contracts, debts, partnerships, company matters and disputes between businesses operating in East Africa, including foreign companies and NGOs working in South Sudan. Prof. Jok advises on the drafting and enforcement of agreements, acts in disputes before the courts, and advises on the law of the East African Community where trade between partner states is involved.
Dismissals, unpaid wages, contracts and disputes between employers and employees, including staff of international organisations and NGOs in South Sudan and the region. Prof. Jok acts for both employees and employers, and has served as a senior university administrator responsible for staff at two South Sudanese public universities.
Cases about the limits of state power: the dismissal of judges and public officers, detention without trial, the rights of accused people, and the independence of courts. Prof. Jok's published work covers exactly these questions, including the 14 South Sudanese justices and judges dismissed by presidential decree who took their case to the East African Court of Justice. He acts before domestic courts and advises on regional and international remedies.
Advice to South Sudanese and Sudanese people on immigration, residence and citizenship questions in East Africa and in Finland, and the documents from home that these cases depend on: marriage, birth and death records, court orders and land titles. For asylum and family reunification cases abroad, Prof. Jok writes expert opinions on the law and conditions of South Sudan and Sudan for the lawyers and authorities handling them.
Written opinions for courts, counsel, immigration authorities, companies and researchers on the law of South Sudan and Sudan: constitutional questions, customary law and compensation, Sharia-derived criminal law, the recognition of marriages and judgments, and the law of the East African Community. Each opinion states the question, the sources relied on and the answer, and is written to be read by people who are not specialists in either legal system.
Write anyway. State the jurisdiction, the court or institution involved and any deadline, and Prof. Jok will say plainly whether and how he can help.
