Judges and prosecutors say many minor cases brought before them are unnecessarily bogging down the judicial system, suggesting that they be handled by Abunzi (local mediators). The workload has drastically increased since 2015 and officials say it is affecting the time effectiveness of delivering justice. At a meeting that brought together prosecution and judges yesterday, it was revealed that since 2015 cases have almost doubled from 25,000 to 45,000. According to Chief Justice Prof. Sam Rugege , “the workload is more than magistrates can handle”. “Rwandan culture addresses many things but when it comes to criminology, the answers provided by our culture are too slim to work in the current world,” said Justice Minister and Attorney General Johnston Busingye. “It is formal judicial procedure that punishes criminals and imparts fear of committing crime in society”. The meeting suggested that repeat offenders of minor cases be the ones taken to courts while first-time offenders are taken before mediators. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
