Critical Examination of the Law Relating to the Freedom of Expression and Media in South Sudan

The right to freedom of expression and the media is a cardinal right in any democratic society or any society that opines about being democratic. It is in this light that South Sudan has come up with various laws concerning the right to freedom of expression and media since 2011. However, the concern remains on the practice of the right to freedom of expression and media in South Sudan which has been infringed upon to a larger extent especially by the central government. On this note, this article calls for the executive to aptly respect and promote the right to freedom of expression and media in South Sudan as they are mandated to do other than using the National Security Service guide in violating the right. The judiciary is equally advised to take up its place in making well-reasoned decisions on the course of protecting the said right just as the international courts have done. Furthermore, media personnel should learn how to explore other mechanisms of enforcing human rights such as the African Commission on Human and People's Rights and the Court thereof. This will guide them in enforcing their rights. Keywords: Cardinal rights, Freedom of expression and media, Human rights, International legal framework, National framework