GASABO - Several members of the judiciary have been fired in the course of ongoing judicial reforms.

In a rare interview given to The New Times by the Chief Justice, Aloysia Cyanzayire, revealed that 23 court officials, including judges and court registrars, have been fired on disciplinary grounds.

"It should not surprise anyone. Yes we have discovered some cases of corruption in the judiciary, but there is no cause for alarm if you analyse statistics clearly,” Cyanzayire who also doubles as the chairperson of the Superior Council of the Judiciary said.

"In a staff of over 500, you cannot fail to have dark horses even though we expect all of them to be characterised by integrity”.

She said some of them have faced disciplinary measures like expulsions while others have faced the full wrath of the law by getting jail sentences.

"There are  some we couldn’t readily get evidence to prosecute them, but the Council penalised them accordingly after realising that they cannot continue working in the judiciary,” Cyanzayire said.

Some have been discharged due to vices like drunkardness and other misconducts that were seen as a threat to the good image of the institution. 

Cyanzayire blamed the public of fuelling corruption in the judiciary and appealed to every citizen to report any suspected corruption incident to the Courts Inspection Unit at the Supreme Court.

The Chief Justice also challenged the critics of the judiciary to appreciate what Rwanda has achieved since the reforms.

She added that despite working under challenging circumstances, most judicial personnel have endeavoured to deliver and have done their work as prescribed by the trade’s code of ethics.

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