Karugarama hosts Ugandan law students

GASABO - Minister of Justice Tharcisse Karugarama yesterday held a briefing with 66 law students from Uganda’s Makerere University, Kampala International and Uganda Christian University. During their visit, Karugarama briefed the students on the structure of the Ministry and the Constitutional reforms the country has carried on over time. “The Rwandan law is interesting in that it is a mixture of its previous civil law system, part of common law systems and also includes the Rwanda traditional laws and justice systems,” Karugarama told the students. He noted that Gacaca courts and the mediation committees are integral parts of Rwandan constitution that have been borrowed from traditional laws. “Incorporation of traditional law makes our legal system unique, and people-centred,” said Karugarama, who is also the Attorney General. Speaking before the briefing, Uganda Law Students Association President, Brian Bwesigye, said that their visit is relevant to their study of different legal systems. “We are here to learn about Rwandan Constitution and its functioning…it is necessary for us as students to learn from practical application to back up our theory lessons. We have heard a lot about the Gacaca courts and we need information considering its likelihood with the newly established system in Uganda ‘Omatoput’,” said Bwesigye. In his address to the student, the minister noted that the Rwandan law is in no way perfect but stands as a reasonable working system with better promises of the future. The minister also noted other constitutional reforms that have occurred since 2002 such as power sharing, court time limits, and Gender sensitivity as a constitutional requirement. The students are in the country on a four-day learning excursion that has seen them already visit the National University of Rwanda (NUR) and the Kigali memorial Centre. The group is scheduled to visit the Supreme Court today afternoon before leaving for Uganda on Friday. Ends