Law firms reopen in Torit after high court order amid licensing, tax disputes

2026-03-08 - 14:08

Torit, Eastern Equatoria (Eye Radio) – Law firm offices that were closed months ago by Eastern Equatoria State Revenue Authority (SRA) have reopened following a High Court order, temporarily halting enforcement of the closures. The move ends a months-long standoff between the state and legal practitioners over compliance with operational licenses under the harmonized tax schedule. Paska Hifita, Commissioner General of the Eastern Equatoria State Revenue Authority, said the closures were necessary after repeated attempts to engage the law firms failed. “These actions are about ensuring that businesses, including law firms handling property transfers, comply with licensing and tax obligations,” Hifita said. “We gave them multiple chances to engage, but they refused. We cannot allow continued non-compliance, as it affects the revenue and operations of the state.” She added that the Revenue Authority acted under both parliamentary directives and constitutional mandates. “We acted in line with parliamentary directives,” Hifita said. “The closures were not arbitrary; they were to ensure compliance and safeguard public revenue. It is the responsibility of every business, including law firms, to operate legally and pay their required fees.” Juma Joe Adriano, representing the affected law firms, said the state overstepped its authority by closing offices. “Legal practitioners are governed by the judiciary and the Bar Association,” Adriano said. “The state does not have authority to close our offices or demand fees that are not mandated by law. We acted within legal procedures and have petitioned both the Chief Justice and Parliament. The matter is now before the courts for resolution.” Adriano also questioned why only Torit-based law firms were targeted. “The Revenue Authority chose to close only the offices in Torit. Of more than 12 law firms here, only one complied with their requirements,” he said. The offices reopened after a police court order, but lawyers said they were unable to access their offices for nearly five months. “We have not accessed our offices since November last year—November, December, January, February, until this March,” Adriano said. “Almost for four months or five months like this. We petitioned the Parliament and the Revenue Authority and took the matter to court. The legal review is still ongoing.” Hifita said the SRA had tried multiple meetings with the law firms to ensure compliance. “Before the High Court order, we had no choice but to implement the parliamentary directives,” she said. “These firms were boycotting multiple meetings and not complying with licensing requirements. Our actions were to protect public revenue, not to target anyone unfairly.”