A group of 60 Supreme Court judges and other court workers have completed four months of intensive training in the English language,

The training pilot programme was conducted by US Peace Corps in cooperation with the Rwandan Government, the Millennium Challenge Corporation Threshold Program – Rwanda Justice Strengthening Project (MCC JSP).

The programme’s objective was to serve as an aid and catalyst for the justice system’s transition from a Francophone civil law to an Anglophone hybrid common-civil law system.

Speaking to The Sunday Times, Fabian Yankurije, one of the trainees, said that he benefited a lot from the programme since he can now speak and write in English without any difficulty.

"Now I am able to conduct court proceedings in English, for instance, in trans-national cases or foreign investment disputes,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice, Sam Rugege, observed that the English language remains a major concern for the Rwanda judiciary.

"A better grasp of the English language on the part of judges will enable them to have greater access to current legal resources (in English) from law books, journals or the internet and will help them to write well informed and better judgments,” he said.

Rugege stressed the importance of the English language to Rwandans, especially since the country joined both the  English-speaking East African Community (EAC) and the Commonwealth.

 "Greater English Proficiency is bound to make our participation in such regional and international bodies more effective and valuable,” he added.

He hailed US Peace Corps, MCC JSP and the Institute of Legal Practice for making the programme a success. The trainees were handed certificates of completion

Mary Abrams, the Peace Corps Rwanda Director, said the the trainees showed a lot of commitment during the course.

"You did not do this work for promotion or pride, you did it to develop the justice system in Rwanda and I acknowledge the crucial role you are playing here,” she told the Peace Corps.

Ellie Frazier, one of the US Peace Corps trainers, said that classes focused on legal English and applicable scenarios in order to address crucial points of development within the Rwanda justice system.

 "Over the course of the programme, attendance was consistent and there was an overwhelmingly positive response from participants.  They also had a chance to showcase their hard work at the end of the programme by sharing oral presentations with each other,” she explained.

Frazier said that the focus now is on transitioning to a larger programme with classes at district court locations nationwide,  and to adjust to an eight-month curriculum.

She stated that three new locations have been approved for 2012, notably, Kibuye, Nyanza, and Musanze; and that over 40 Peace Corps volunteers have signed up as instructors, and that more than 150 new participants will be registered for the programme.

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