The Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST) announced that from 2022 to 2024, the process of resolving disputes through mutual agreement has successfully resolved 19,203 cases.This was highlighted by the Minister of Justice and the Attorney General, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, on Thursday, December 19, 2024, during the General Assembly of the Rwanda Bar Association.
He pointed out that since the establishment of the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre (ADR Centre), there has been tangible progress, and he encouraged lawyers to embrace it.He stated: “Providers of ADR services have continued to help parties in disputes resolve their cases through mutual agreement. Specifically, from 2022 to October 2024, 4,312 civil and commercial cases were resolved through mediation.”Additionally, from October 2022 to November 2024, 14,891 criminal cases were resolved using plea-bargaining.Minister Ugirashebuja also mentioned the revision of laws concerning crimes and punishments, as well as the law governing the trial of criminal cases, which introduced significant reforms.He noted, “Granting judges the discretion to reduce sentences when there are mitigating circumstances was important because previous laws prevented certain penalties from being reduced, even if the judge found valid reasons for leniency.”He further emphasized, “This situation prevented judges from exercising their discretion in determining appropriate sentences. Giving law enforcement the authority to withdraw cases when necessary and for reasons specified by the law has also contributed to this process.”He also explained that this change empowered the prosecution to initiate negotiations between the accused and the victim in some crimes punishable by imprisonment of less than five years and to reduce sentences requested for temporary releases and other circumstances.However, the Ministry of Justice also highlighted challenges faced by those implementing these policies, including lawyers, prosecutors, investigators, and court staff, who do not fully understand the value of resolving cases through mutual agreement.There are also concerns from some lawyers who view this approach as undermining their work, as well as a tendency among the public to continue taking cases to court. Limited resources, especially in training those involved, remain an issue.
The Ministry of Justice stated that efforts to improve the operations of the ADR Centre are ongoing, including expanding its branches, refining the list of ADR service providers, categorizing them based on the services they offer and their locations, and aligning their operations with those of the courts.Additionally, efforts continue to build the capacity of the relevant institutions and staff to ensure effective dispute resolution outside of court.
