Uganda’s National Justice Forum lauds Gacaca courts

Rwanda’s traditional courts, Gacaca, have been commended by the Ugandan Justice, Law and Order Sector (JLOS) for effectively handling the 1994 Genocide cases. “The classic justice didn’t meet expectations because after approximately five years, only 6,000 files out of 120,000 were tried. At this working speed, it would take more than a century to try only 120,000 cases. The conclusion was to look for an alternative solution,” Denis Bikesha, the Director National Service of Gacaca Courts observed. He was making a presentation on Gacaca Courts during Uganda’s three-day National Justice Law and Order Sector Forum held at the Imperial Resort Beach Hotel in Kampala July 30-August 1. Consequently, the Ugandan JLOS intends to “borrow a leaf” from Rwanda’s Gacaca courts to establish an effective integrated transitional justice system for the country. “The success of the Gacaca courts in Rwanda gives insights on how to implement our transitional justice system. They have gone ahead to have a legal framework. Since we are still developing our traditional system we shall do a close study and identify what we can apply in our system,” said Honorable Freddie Ruhindi, Uganda’s State Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, commenting on the presentation. He also added that he had personally attended the Gacaca court proceedings in Rwanda and visited community development projects facilitated by Gacaca convicts. “Work of the Gacaca courts is very significant because it has assisted in the process of reintegration of the community and compensation of Genocide victims. Their work is encouraging because it involves the whole community.” “Uganda has an option of handling cases in Northern Uganda like we have handled Genocide cases using our traditional Gacaca courts. What Gacaca has been doing is a mission that is clear to everyone,” Bikesha told The New Times in an interview. He added that Gacaca courts are key to national reconciliation and reconstruction since justice is rendered by the people for the people. “While ordinary courts render justice in the names of the people who are represented by the judge in traditional courts, justice is rendered by the people themselves because they are actively involved in the whole process,” he explained. Since their inception in 2001, Gacaca courts have tried about a million genocide cases. Ends