A total of Rwf1,316,596,418 has been invested in developing a web portal of Rwanda law and cases (www.amategeko.gov.rw), expected to facilitate people in easily accessing laws, law reports and judgments online.
The amount was unveiled during the official launch of the portal which took place on November 25, where various stakeholders in the judicial sector gathered.
Domitilla Mukantaganzwe, the chairperson of the Rwanda Law Reform Commission (RLRC), pointed out that the portal cost that amount for it to be available and functional, yet the amount will keep increasing as the web grows.
"The portal comes to fill gaps including accessing all and updated laws in the same portal, well written in three languages (Kinyarwanda, French, and English), and using the portal as a reference for legal practitioners, students and researchers,” she noted.
The portal so far has over 700 laws, and will be updated at least every three months.
While speaking at the same event, Soline Nyirahabimana, the Minister of State in charge of Constitutional and Legal Affairs in the Ministry of Justice (MINIJUST), commended all institutions that participated in the establishment of the portal.
Nyirahabimana added that the portal will address the identified gaps, adding that it will ease and improve the work of all people involved in the judicial chain, which will also contribute to delivering justice and upholding rule of law.
She concluded by assuring continued support in developing and feeding the portal, among others.
Faustin Ntezilyayo, the Chief Justice, urged the team to gradually update the portal and join efforts in promoting it.
He pointed out that the country’s law plays a big role in the well-being of the citizens, peace, and development; hence this promotion is a commendable move.
Moreover, Ntezilyayo said that as a country that upholds rule of law, it is important for the law to be easily accessible and facilitate those who implement it.
He went ahead to point out gaps such as resources and literacy gaps that hinder access to justice, adding that the web will address some of them.
The portal was developed with the help of the judiciary, MINIJUST, technical support of the Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), and the Justice Sector IT team, engaged by LEXBASE S.A.