More than 850 cases were resolved in correctional facilities across Rwanda within a week following the rollout of bi-monthly, on-location plea-bargaining and mediation sessions by the Judiciary and its justice sector partners. According to Judiciary spokesperson Harrison Mutabazi, 825 cases were concluded through plea bargaining, while 30 were settled through Victim–Offender Mediation during the sessions held from January 26 to January 30. The initiative was implemented jointly by the Judiciary, the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), the Legal Aid Forum (LAF) and the Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS), with activities conducted simultaneously in all correctional facilities nationwide. ALSO READ: Inmates praise plea bargaining for offering hope and healing Mutabazi said the nationwide rollout was successfully executed, with judicial officers and other justice actors deployed to every correctional facility. “Judicial officers and other justice actors were present in all correctional facilities in the country, conducting awareness sessions, plea-bargaining proceedings and Victim–Offender Mediation sessions. As a result, 825 cases were resolved through plea bargaining and 30 through Victim–Offender Mediation,” he said. He added that the Judiciary plans to conduct the on-site sessions on a bi-monthly basis across all facilities. “The Judiciary, together with NPPA, RCS and LAF, intends this activity to be bi-monthly and conducted in all correctional facilities. Every second-to-last week of the month, such sessions should be held on location at correctional facilities,” Mutabazi explained. ALSO READ: Judiciary to focus on ADR, speedy, accessible justice in new year On the impact of bringing plea bargaining directly into correctional facilities, particularly in improving access to justice and speeding up case resolution, Mutabazi said the results were already clear. “Certainly, the numbers show that cases will be expedited if we continue in this trend, thus providing timely and quality justice to inmates on remand,” he said. He noted that the approach also plays a key role in reducing court backlogs and easing congestion in correctional facilities. “The process is an enabler in curbing backlogs, decongesting correctional facilities, but above all, rekindling the spirit of restorative justice that is embedded in ADR and criminal justice policies,” he added. The initiative comes as Rwanda continues to expand the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms. Judiciary data for the 2024/2025 judicial year show that cases concluded through mediation increased by 32 per cent to 3,166, up from 2,395 in 2023/2024. During the same period, 11,846 cases were resolved through plea bargaining, a 20 per cent increase from 9,851 cases recorded in the 2023/2024 judicial year.
