The average time it takes to have a case heard in substance in a Rwandan court has dropped from six months to four months, the Judiciary has said. This is as case backlogs fell by six percent with the number of pending cases in courts fell by 25% during the 2025/2026 judicial year. The development was highlighted by Chief Justice Domitille Mukantaganzwa during the opening of the 2026/2027 Judicial Year held on Friday, September 4. She said the Judiciary had made progress in its efforts to deliver timely and efficient justice. At the beginning of the 2025/2026 judicial year, courts had 54,278 cases carried over from the previous year, Mukantaganzwa said. A further 109,417 cases were filed during the year, bringing the total caseload to 163,695. Of these, 123,027 cases were decided, leaving 40,668 pending at the end of the judicial year on June 30. The number of pending cases declined by 13,610 compared with the previous year, representing a 25 percent reduction. The Judiciary also reported a decline in cases considered backlog, those pending for more than six months. Mukantaganzwa highlighted that backlog cases stood at 17,663 at the end of the 2025/2026 judicial year, accounting for 43.4 percent of all pending cases, down from 26,862 cases, or 49.4 percent, the previous year. This represents a reduction of 6 percentage points in the backlog rate. The Judiciary has set a target of reducing backlog cases to 30 percent by the end of the 2028/2029 judicial year, in line with the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2). Restorative justice gains ground She added that the Judiciary also recorded an increase in the use of restorative justice mechanisms, including mediation, plea-bargaining and victim-offender mediation. Of the 109,555 cases decided through the ordinary case process, 82 percent were resolved through litigation. The remainder were resolved through restorative justice mechanisms. Cases resolved through restorative justice increased by 32.4 percent. Mukantaganzwa said the increase reflects the Judiciary's continued efforts to encourage parties to resolve disputes through alternative and restorative mechanisms where possible. She said the overall figures demonstrate the commitment of judges and court staff to reducing case backlogs and the time litigants spend waiting for justice, while maintaining the integrity of the judicial process. 17,086 people prosecuted in detention cases The Judiciary also reported that 13,472 cases relating to detention and provisional release were handled during the year, involving 17,086 people. 58 percent of them were issued provisional detention orders, while 4,294, or 25 percent, were granted provisional release. Another 2,889 people, representing 17 precent, were subject to other orders, including orders to comply with court requirements, bail or guarantees. Despite the progress, the Judiciary continues to face pressure from a growing number of cases, Mukantaganzwa said. She noted that the number of cases continues to increase while the number of judicial staff does not grow at the same pace, a situation that can affect the services provided to litigants. Public trust in Judiciary rises The Judiciary also reported an increase in public confidence. According to the 2025 report by the Rwanda Governance Board (RGB), public trust in the Judiciary increased to 90 percent, up from 88.2 percent the previous year. Mukantaganzwa said the Judiciary had continued to promote consistency in judicial decisions by encouraging judges to adjudicate cases involving similar issues in a similar manner. The approach, she said, helps litigants understand their rights and the likely outcome of cases while also reducing opportunities for corruption or partiality. The Judiciary also trained judges in case-law writing and published collections of case law to help judges, lawyers, prosecutors and litigants access and use previous court decisions. Lawyers expand pro bono services Meanwhile, Rwanda Bar Association President Moise Nkundabarashi said lawyers had continued to expand access to legal assistance, particularly for vulnerable groups. During the year under review, 5,224 vulnerable people and people in other special categories received pro bono legal assistance, including children and people appearing before the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. The bar has also introduced technology to allow people seeking legal assistance to access some services online. Nkundabarashi said the association inaugurated the RBA Training Center in 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen lawyers' professionalism and promote greater specialization within the legal profession. He said the center complements existing institutions such as the Institute of Legal Practice and Development (ILPD), particularly in strengthening the capacity of emerging lawyers. Prosecution resolves 95% of cases received Prosecutor General Angélique Habyarimana said the National Public Prosecution Authority received 71,276 cases during the year and decided 68,232 of them, representing a 95.2 percent resolution rate. Of the cases handled, 40,793 were filed before courts, while 27,439 were archived for various reasons, including fines, mediation, and other mechanisms. The prosecution also continued to support alternative dispute resolution mechanisms. Habyarimana said 13,496 cases were resolved through plea bargaining, while 1,858 were handled through victim-offender mediation and 7,843 through mediation at the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) level. She also highlighted the continued involvement of young people in crime, although their proportion among prosecuted offenders declined. People aged between 18 and 30 accounted for 40 percent of those prosecuted, down from 51percent in the previous year. The most common offences included theft and battery or assault, which accounted for 49 percent of cases, compared with 51.1 percent the previous year.
