Somalia’s federal justice system is deeply politicized, arbitrary, and undermines the social contract between the government and citizens. Opposition leaders and high-level defectors from Al-Shabaab are handled outside formal legal procedures, receiving impunity or selective treatment, while rank-and-file jihadists face rapid trials and death sentences. Notable cases include Hassan Dahir Aweys, Mohamed Said ‘Atam’, Zakaria Ismaa’iil Ahmed, and Mukhtar Robow, all of whom surrendered or were detained yet never faced proper trial, often receiving comfortable accommodation or government positions. Political opposition figures endure even harsher treatment, including assassination attempts. Abdirashid ‘Janan’, former Jubaland security minister, exemplifies the system’s capricious nature arrested, escaped, led resistance, and later officially acquitted after a secret deal. This selective application of justice highlights a federal system that functions more as a marketplace for favors, influence, and power than a rule-of-law institution. Public confidence in the judiciary has eroded, with many citizens viewing the predictably harsh, though impartial, justice of Al-Shabaab as more reliable. The systemic politicization of Somalia’s courts underscores the urgent need for reform, accountability, and a genuine commitment to legal fairness to restore governance and public trust.