Over 6,200 cases in Rwanda were resolved through Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) methods between January and May 2025 alone, with Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa emphasizing that nearly 80 percent of court cases should be handled through such mechanisms.
Of the total 6,209 cases handled through ADR, 4,894 were resolved through plea-bargaining while 1,315 were settled through mediation. The figures reflect a growing adoption of ADR as a faster, more cost-effective method for settling disputes without prolonged court proceedings.
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Mukantaganzwa made urged for greater adoption of ADR mechanisms on Tuesday, May 20, when she and her visiting counterpart from The Gambia, Chief Justice Hassan Bubacar Jallow, toured the ADR Centre in Kigali.
Mukantaganzwa highlighted Rwanda’s longstanding tradition of using home-grown solutions to resolve disputes, citing the Gacaca courts, which tried over two million cases related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
Today, local mediators (abunzi) handle between 30,000 to 50,000 cases each year, an approach she said has proven effective in promoting reconciliation and delivering justice swiftly.
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"We will continue this journey through the ADR system, which has proven to be applicable across various sectors,” she said.
"For instance, we recently engaged business communities to encourage them to embrace ADR. People must change their mindset and seek alternative dispute resolution before turning to conventional courts.”
She stressed the need to decentralize ADR mechanisms to the grassroots level so that communities can access justice closer to home, adding, "When we look at our caseloads, about 80 percent of them could be resolved through ADR methods.”
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Speaking during the visit, Chief Justice Jallow, who shared his experience in ADR more specifically in plea-bargaining with leaders in the chain of justice, commended Rwanda’s justice reforms and highlighted common challenges and opportunities in the countries.
"In both Rwanda and Gambia, we are concerned with expediting litigation, using better technology in courts, and developing specialized courts for criminal, commercial, and general matters,” he said.
"ADR plays a key role here; it helps resolve disputes faster, with fewer resources, and fosters settlements without the need for full trials.”
Jallow, who last visited Rwanda nine years ago after completing his service as Prosecutor of the now-defunct International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, commended the country’s progress, particularly in the justice sector. "I see a system that is dynamic and willing to innovate,” he noted.
Jallow emphasized the importance of modernizing judicial systems to better serve citizens.
"Traditionally, the judiciary is very conservative; lawyers and judges operate in systems slow to change,” he said. "However, we must move away from that. We need to embrace the advantages of modern technology and integrate ADR more within our court systems.”
He called for greater investment in training specialized judges and setting up tailored courts capable of handling specific matters more efficiently.
Deepening justice cooperation
As part of his visit, Jallow and his delegation also met with President Paul Kagame on Tuesday to discuss avenues for judicial cooperation between Rwanda and the Gambia.
He also visited the Commercial High Court, the Mediation Center in Nyarugenge District, Rwanda Forensic Institute, and the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where he paid tribute to the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi.
Since its opening in 2024, Rwanda’s ADR Centre has served as a vital bridge between public and private dispute resolution initiatives, reinforcing the country’s commitment to a more accessible and efficient justice system.