Rwanda has officially started the 2025/26 judicial year with key priorities including cutting case backlogs, expanding the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), and leveraging technology to make justice swifter and more accessible to all citizens. The launch of the new judicial year, held on September 1, brought together officials from the judiciary, prosecution, and Rwanda Bar Association, to take stock of last year’s achievements, reflect on challenges, and outline the path ahead. ALSO READ: Chief Justice outlines priority areas as new judicial year begins Chief Justice Domitilla Mukantaganzwa said that in 2024/25, courts registered 106,254 new cases. Combined with 76,273 pending files carried over from the previous year, the total caseload reached 182,527. Out of these, 109,192 cases were adjudicated, including 92,880 substantive matters and 16,312 pre-trial detention and release decisions. Mukantaganzwa pointed to notable progress in easing the burden through ADR. A total of 15,012 disputes were resolved outside full litigation, 3,166 civil, commercial, labour, and administrative cases through mediation, and 11,846 criminal matters through plea bargaining. Together, ADR and traditional adjudication accounted for 124,204 resolved cases. Despite such efforts, 58,323 files remain pending, with 26,862 now considered backlogged. The Chief Justice noted that backlogs stem from limited public awareness about ADR and a continued preference by some litigants for lengthy trials. She called on parties to embrace mediation, court-annexed settlements, and plea bargaining, stressing that ADR is faster, less costly, and helps restore harmony between disputing sides. ALSO READ: Rwanda ‘to halve court backlogs in next five years’ Justice Minister Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, used the occasion to highlight Rwanda’s global ranking in the 2024 World Justice Project Rule of Law Index. Rwanda was placed first among 34 African countries surveyed, 40th worldwide, and top globally among 16 lower-income nations. He attributed the progress to deliberate strategies, particularly the fight against corruption within justice institutions, the rollout of reforms to bring services closer to citizens, and the embrace of technology. The Justice, Reconciliation, Law and Order Sector Strategy Plan (2024–2029), aligned with Vision 2050 and NST2, targets reducing case backlogs from 62 percent under NST1 to 30 percent. ADR is expected to expand from 10 percent to over 30 percent of all resolved cases. Ugirashebuja also cited the upgraded Integrated Electronic Case Management System (IECMS) and the empowerment of community mediators, known as Abunzi, as critical steps toward grassroots access to justice. He added that since introducing victim–offender mediation in 2023, Rwanda Investigation Bureau has resolved 2,680 cases, while the ADR Centre has settled 149 of 151 cases submitted since its launch. Prosecutor General Angelique Habyarimana reported that her office received 78,489 cases in 2024/25 and completed 75,732, surpassing its target completion rate of 96 percent. Of these, 42,279 were filed in court, while 23,453 were handled out of court through fines, mediation, or plea-bargaining. Conviction rates continued to rise, reaching 93.2 percent overall. Defilement convictions improved from 65.3 to 74 percent, rape from 64.4 to 71 percent, genocide ideology from 81.3 to 85 percent, and economic crimes from 83.6 to 84 percent. Emerging crimes such as drug trafficking, money laundering, cybercrime, and human trafficking were prosecuted in 5,168 cases, with a 97 percent conviction rate. Rwanda Bar Association (RBA) President, Moise Nkundabarashi, emphasised the Bar’s role in making justice accessible to the most vulnerable. In partnership with the government, the Bar provided legal aid to 6,971 needy people last year. Lawyers also participated in more than 7,400 plea-bargaining cases and 2,000 civil mediations.
