In a move that reinforces Rwanda’s ongoing reflection on justice and reconciliation, the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD) has launched a special issue of the Rwanda Law Journal dedicated to transitional justice, bringing together Rwandan and international scholars to reflect on justice, reconciliation, and post-conflict reconstruction. Launched on February 13, the publication is ILPD’s fourth research volume. Produced in collaboration with LawAfrica. The issue features five peer-reviewed articles comparing restorative justice policies and practices across Africa and Europe, while drawing lessons from Rwanda’s post-Genocide experience. The collection places Rwanda’s journey at the centre of broader global debates on how societies rebuild after mass atrocities. From the community-based Gacaca courts to contemporary reconciliation programmes, Rwanda’s homegrown mechanisms are presented as a model of transitional justice, one that seeks to balance accountability with healing. Aimé Muyoboke Karimunda, the Rector of ILPD, said the special edition focuses on restorative justice as a defining pillar of Rwanda’s reconstruction. “Restorative justice is a Rwandan specialty that existed before colonialism, declined in later periods, but was revived through Gacaca,” he said. “This issue reflects on the Ministry of Justice’s policy on restorative justice and demonstrates that the path chosen by Rwanda has merit and lessons that the world can learn from.” Karimunda contributed to issue with an article examining the abolition of the death penalty in post-Genocide Rwanda. He argues that abolishing capital punishment represented a deepening, not a weakening, of justice, reframing accountability as moral restoration rather than retribution. In this view, justice becomes a reaffirmation of human dignity and a conscious refusal to replicate cycles of violence, he said. Other contributions explore transitional justice from comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives. Professor Ruth Amir and Professor Denis Bikesha trace the evolution of transitional justice from Latin American jurisprudence to contemporary African and European frameworks. Their analysis highlights a shift from universal, globally framed models toward more regional and context-sensitive approaches. Similarly, Daniel Ndayisaba compares transitional justice policies of the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU). He observes that while the EU framework places strong emphasis on criminal accountability, the AU model adopts a broader approach that balances retribution with reconciliation, institutional reform, and social cohesion. The AU Transitional Justice Policy, conceived as a continental guideline for Member States, encourages countries to design context-specific strategies aimed at democratic transformation, sustainable peace, and healing. The authors underscore that such policies are not static instruments but evolving frameworks shaped by local realities and lived experiences. Another article, by Timothy Ayuo, addresses an often-overlooked dimension of transitional justice: the governance of information. Reflecting on how identity documentation was used during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Ayuo examines the ethical implications of data collection and protection. He calls for a justice framework that integrates human rights safeguards into information management systems, warning that data, when stripped of ethical restraint, can become a tool of harm. Yves Sezirahiga contributes a victim-centred perspective, assessing the adequacy of reparations in Rwanda’s post-Genocide reconstruction. His article centres on survivors’ voices and asks whether they feel justice has truly been achieved. He argues that reparations should not be viewed merely as compensation, but as recognition, an acknowledgment of loss, suffering, and the enduring right to dignity. Speaking about the special issue, Charity Wibabara, the Head of the International Justice and Judicial Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Justice, said the publication is relevant not only to legal professionals but also to students, educators, and the general public. “These documents connect research with the life of the country,” she said, Bikesha, the editor of the Rwanda Law Journal and a law professor at the University of Rwanda, said the special issue was motivated by the need to align academic research with Rwanda’s historical experience. “There have been many discussions about justice in general,” he said. “This issue focuses specifically on justice in the aftermath of the atrocities the country has endured, its and seeks to share Rwanda’s response with the world.”
