Justice Minister Johnston Busingye and the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Isabelle Kalihangabo, were yesterday admitted to Rwanda Bar Association after taking oath as Attorney-General and Solicitor-General, respectively.

Although the two held the titles for over a year, they were not allowed to practice in courts unless they were admitted to the Bar as required by the law.

The two took oath in an event held at the Supreme Court, alongside 131 other practitioners who were also admitted to the Bar.

Among others that joined the Bar include former Prosecutor-General Martin Ngoga, Uganda’s former Solicitor-General, Peter Kabatsi, and former head of the Bar Association in Val d’Oise, France, Gilles Paruelle.

Thirty of those who took oath will be assigned to Access to Justice Bureaus, commonly known in French as Maisons d’Accès à la Justice (Maj), a programme that decentralises justice and provides legal aid to communities.

"This is a vote of confidence not only in the Rwanda Bar Association but more generally in the administration of justice in Rwanda,” said Chief Justice Sam Rugege as he presided over the swearing in event.

"In a globalised world, lawyers should be able to move freely and represent clients anywhere. I am sure Rwandan lawyers will benefit from your vast experiences, knowledge and skills while working with you.”

Personal improvements

Prof. Rugege urged the new practitioners to enhance their knowledge and understanding of the law, saying since Rwanda started embarking on the principle of judicial precedent, legal practitioners should as well enrich themselves by reading several court decisions in other jurisdictions other than those in the country.

The president of Rwanda Bar Association, Athanase Rutabingwa, said out of 133 who took oath, 110 will have to undergo internship before they are fully registered while 23 already have the required skills and will start practicing right away.

Among those that will start work right away include former judges and prosecutors who either retired or had left their previous jobs under different circumstances.

Phiona Mutoni, one of the lawyers that took oath and has been working as an interning advocate with Trust Law Chambers, told The New Times that her aspirations are mainly growing into one of the best lawyers within the commercial world as it is her area of interest.

"The justice sector is growing, if you look at the figures from the Bar, in 1997, the Bar started with only 37 qualified lawyers, today it has 1221 which is clear proof that there is significant progress made toward building a firm justice sector in Rwanda,” said Mutoni.

Mutoni added that currently, there is need to sensitise the public in consulting with law experts and not to wait until they go to court to start seeking legal services.

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