The 2026/2027 judicial year will see Rwanda place greater emphasis on alternative dispute resolution, digital justice services, emerging crimes, and rehabilitation of offenders.

At the same time, the Rwanda Bar Association (RBA) says it will introduce new initiatives to improve lawyers’ wellbeing and retain more women in the legal profession, including support for female lawyers during maternity.

The priorities were outlined during the official launch of the 2026/2027 Judicial Year, which began on July 1, and officially launched on September,4.

More disputes to be resolved before court

Chief Justice Domitille Mukantaganzwa said the Judiciary will continue encouraging parties to use restorative justice mechanisms to resolve disputes rather than immediately taking them to court.

The Judiciary will also work with other institutions to revise the Code of Judicial Procedure to provide for greater use of pre-filing mediation, under which parties would first attempt to resolve their disputes through restorative justice mechanisms before filing a lawsuit.

The move is expected to help reduce the number of cases reaching courts and ease pressure on the judicial system.

"The Judiciary will also continue encouraging judges to adjudicate similar cases in line with guidelines issued by the High Courts, with the aim of promoting consistency and predictability in judicial decisions. Technology will be another major focus during the new judicial year,” she said.

Mukantaganzwa said the Judiciary will continue promoting the use of technology to accelerate the delivery of justice services.

The Judiciary will also collaborate with other institutions to revise laws governing criminal justice policies, with the aim of putting greater emphasis on correcting and rehabilitating offenders rather than simply punishing them.

The Chief Justice further said the Judiciary would work with relevant institutions to identify and address challenges emerging during trials before they become bigger problems.

Bar turns focus to lawyers’ wellbeing

Meanwhile, RBA President Moise Nkundabarashi said the association is preparing new initiatives aimed at improving lawyers’ welfare, with particular attention to female lawyers.

Nkundabarashi said research conducted by the Bar showed that some women were leaving the legal profession, prompting the association to consider measures that could help them remain in practice, particularly during and after maternity.

The association plans to establish a maternity support programme through which female lawyers would receive assistance from the Bar during maternity leave.

The RBA also plans to strengthen wellness programmes for lawyers, Nkundabarashi said, citing the demanding nature of legal work and its potential impact on practitioners’ wellbeing.

He said the association had encountered cases of lawyers who died from health-related complications, including strokes, which he linked to the pressure associated with the profession.

The wellbeing initiatives are part of broader plans to strengthen the professional development and welfare of lawyers, he said.

Furthermore, for the National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA), greater digitisation will also be central to the new judicial year.

Prosecutor General Angélique Habyarimana said the prosecution will increase its use of the upgraded Integrated Case Management System for the Justice Sector (ICSMES) as part of efforts to improve case management.

The prosecution will also put greater emphasis on electronic indictments.

Habyarimana said the use of electronic indictments had demonstrated potential to improve the quality of case files and the way dossiers are prepared and processed.

The prosecution also intends to reduce the number of cases that reach courts by making greater use of alternative dispute resolution and other available mechanisms.

This comes as the justice sector continues to push for greater use of restorative and alternative mechanisms to resolve disputes outside conventional court proceedings.

Focus on emerging crimes

Habyarimana said the prosecution will also maintain its focus on emerging forms of crime.

Gender-based violence cases will continue to receive special attention, with prosecutors expected to closely follow and pursue such cases.

Human trafficking will also be pursued more aggressively, with the prosecution promising to strengthen efforts to ensure that people involved in trafficking are brought to justice.

The prosecution will also continue fighting other emerging crimes as part of efforts to respond to changing patterns of criminal activity.

The priorities come after the Judiciary reported a reduction in both pending and backlog cases during the 2025/2026 judicial year.

The number of pending cases fell from 54,278 at the end of the previous judicial year to 40,668, while the average time taken to hear a case dropped from six months to four months.

The Judiciary has set a target of further reducing cases pending for more than six months to no more than 30 percent by the end of the 2028/2029 judicial year.