This Paper – written on behalf of the Project for Criminal Law Reform in Sudan – forms part of broader efforts by Sudanese civil society to raise awareness about the repressive nature of Sudanese public order law. This campaign advocates for a repeal or amendment of provisions incompatible with applicable national and international human rights standards.
The current draft of the Social Control Act 2011 entrenches repressive features of Sudanese public order law for the capital, and fails to reflect any of the concerns or proposals for change made in recent years, particularly concerning women’s rights. Its broad scope further opens the door to arbitrary law-enforcement, threatening marginalised citizens and the tranquility of post-separation Sudan.