KIGALI - Prosecutor General Martin Ngoga yesterday left for the Spanish Capital, Madrid, to participate in a high level international conference on international justice, normally referred to as Universal Jurisdiction.

Discussions during this year’s annual meeting to be attended by over 3,000 jurists from all over the world will mainly focus on the controversial principle of universal jurisdiction.

Ngoga will be a panellist in a special session entitled "Peace Vs Justice: a discussion on International Justice in Africa” which will feature prominent African lawyers deliberating on African perspectives as well as future prospects for international justice on the continent.

The 5-day conference organised by the International Bar Association (IBA) will draw lessons from the African experience of International law as it has a richer history than any other continent; ranging from Ad-hoc tribunals to International Criminal Tribunals and ICC cases.

Ngoga is also expected to dwell much on Rwanda’s experiences with the international law, focusing on the International Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda as well Rwanda’s opinions and views on International Law.

"The African Continent has had a considerable exposure to International Justice through ad-hoc tribunals, International Criminal Tribunals as well as ICC experience.

However, International Justice has raised controversy and debate especially in the African perspective,” a statement from IBA states.

Rwanda is one of the many countries that have strongly questioned the impartiality of International Law and the International Criminal Court.

The country was especially riled by the abuse and manipulation of universal jurisdiction by particular countries and individuals on the expense of others.

The IBA boasts of a membership of over 30,000 individual lawyers and over 159 Bar and law associations worldwide and it is known to influence the development of international law reforms and shaping the future of the legal profession.

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