Rwanda’s justice sector has made tremendous strides especially since 2004 when reforms in the sector kicked off. These reforms have paid off in many ways, including getting the thumbs up of international jurisdictions like the former International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the European Court of Human and People’s Rights, which ruled at different times that the Rwandan judiciary meets international standards. These rulings have also been crucial for other countries, especially in Europe to extradite criminals to Rwanda, mainly fugitives who participated in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It is for the same reason that Rwanda was chosen to host international convicts, such as those convicted by the Special Court for Sierra Leone established by the United Nations. However, like different officials in the justice sector have said, the time has come for all those involved to pass the Criminal Justice Policy that is already in its draft. The policy is a comprehensive document that tackles criminal justice administration in the country. According to judges, having this document will for instance help to provide clear guidelines on better handling of criminal cases before them, to expedite delivery of justice. Speaking at a recent justice forum, the President of the Appeals Court said that the policy will provide judges with a clear framework of prescribing alternative justice mechanisms for cases before them. Such mechanisms include plea bargaining and alternative sentencing, which means that not all convictions should necessarily end up with prison prescription. Just recently, the Government of Rwanda announced the introduction of electronic ankle monitors for convicted felons, in a way to ensure convicts do not necessarily serve all the convicted jail time in prison. Such prescription however will only be properly guided by the criminal justice policy, which, fortunately, is in its advanced stages, with a draft already in place. This will go a long way in decongesting the country’s prisons, which will not only reduce the resources on which the government expends on feeding the inmates but also help improve the welfare of those who will remain in less crowded prisons. The policy will also help provide a framework for judges to encourage mediated settlements to legal disputes, most especially after the Supreme Court started accrediting court mediators. All such effort will give a major impetus to the country’s transition from a penal to a correctional judicial system.
