Sudan Appoints its First Female Chief Justice

Sudanese Supreme Court Judge Nimaat Abdallah Kheir has been confirmed as Sudan’s new Chief Justice.

The Sudan News Agency (SUNA) announced the confirmation of Kheir’s appointment in accordance with a decree on Thursday, 10 October 2019 by the Sovereign Council. The decree also names Taj El Hibir as Attorney General. Under Article 29 (3) of the August 2019 Draft Constitutional Declaration, she is also the president of the Supreme Court and is responsible for administering the judicial authority before the Supreme Judicial Council.

نعمات رئيسا للقضاء وتاج السر نائبا عاما

أصدر مجلس السيادة الانتقالي في اجتماعه اليوم قرارا عين بموجبه الأستاذة نعمات عبدالله محمد خير رئيسا للقضاء والاستاذ تاج السر علي الحبر علي نائبا عاما. pic.twitter.com/M8PJixAX7e

— SUDAN News Agency (SUNA) 🇸🇩 (@SUNA_AGENCY) October 10, 2019

The new Chief Justice and Attorney General will form councils according to certain criteria and choose a Judiciary Council with a specific timeframe.

Kheir is the first woman to hold the position and follows only a handful of other women in the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region to head judiciaries.

Kheir’s appointment was first announced in August 2019 when Sudan’s new Prime Minister Abdullah Hamdok and the six civilian members of the Sovereign Council were sworn in. Kheir was put forward as the head of the Sudanese judiciary after being selected by consensus between the Transitional Military Council (TMC) and the Forces of Freedom and Change (FFC).

According to Radio Dabanga, Kheir became a member of the judiciary in the early 1980s. She worked in the Court of Appeal and Court of First Instance; and founded the Sudanese Judges Club. Kheir soon became a judge of the Supreme Court for her competence, integrity and experience. In addition, she has participated in protests, which have called for the overthrow of the ousted Sudanese President Omar Al Bashir and his regime.