Court bailiffs have been urged to respect human rights in the course of executing their duties.

The call was made during a two-day training that ended yesterday, bringing together over 100 professional bailiffs who were cautioned to observe human rights for both litigants (winner and loser) in a court case.

The training was organised by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR).

While opening the training in Kigali on Tuesday, Madeleine Nirere, the chairperson of the commission, said the initiative was among the responsibilities of NCHR to ensure all sections of Rwandans are cushioned against any form of rights violation.

"The bailiffs are very important players in the dispensation of justice because if a judgement is not executed, then no justice is rendered however much the courts can be impartial,” she said.

Nirere said the training sought to appraise bailiffs of the need to respect the laws in place while going about their duties, adding that the trade (professional bailiffs) is still young, which could make them vulnerable to mistakes.

"When a judgement is badly executed, it only escalates the problem. Human rights conventions and other laws must be respected during your work, especially during attachment and auctioning of property of a loser in a judicial case,” she said.

Vedaste Habimana, the president of Rwandan Bailiffs’ Association, said one of the challenges they face is lack of manpower to ensure that the entire country is served by professional bailiffs with a background in law.

The Government, in ensuring the execution of court rulings, appointed some local leaders as non-professional bailiffs, to reduce the backlog of unfinished judgements.

Habimana urged bailiffs to respect laws in their responsibilities and be characterised by discipline and integrity, adding that such trainings were important for them.

The Rwandan Bailiff Association was established in 2001 and currently has 398 members across the country.

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