Somalia Moves to Reform Outdated Penal Code to Strengthen Justice System

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: Somalia has launched a review of its decades-old penal code in a move aimed at strengthening the justice system and better safeguard citizens’ rights.

Chief Justice Bashe Yusuf Ahmed opened the Judicial Consultation Forum in Mogadishu on Sunday, calling the penal code “central” to modernizing Somalia’s judiciary.

Appeal Court President Siciid Ali Gurey said the reform would make courts more effective, while State Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Amb. Ilyas Sheikh Omar, stressed that changes would help protect fundamental freedoms in a country rebuilding from years of conflict.

Legal experts say updating the law, first enacted more than half a century ago, is key to aligning Somalia’s institutions with international standards and restoring public trust in the rule of law.