Judicial body meets to assess progress

Judges and registrars, speaking under their umbrella; “Rwanda Judges and Registrars Association”, have vowed to advance the administration of the law by promoting the independence of the judiciary. This was announced by Angeline Rutazana, the vice president of the association and a judge in the High Court. She was speaking on the sidelines of a meeting convened to review the judiciary’s performance since the establishment of the association last year. “We want to discuss and exchange ideas on how best we can improve our performance, which should, in turn, trickle down to the people,” she told The New Times. Rutazana added that, though still faced with challenges, especially shortage of experienced personnel, they were ready to cooperate with other regional and international associations to enhance skills in the sector. “One of the challenges that hinder the judicial sector is the issue of experience where our judges are young compared to their counterparts in the region,” she pointed out. “We are now a member of the Commonwealth Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (CMJA) and the East African Magistrates’ and Judges’ Association (EAMJA). We hope to make the most of our membership to gain more knowledge that will help us meet the public’s expectations”. Edgar Hodali, president of Rubavu Intermediate Court, commended their association, adding that they had achieved much since the establishment of their union. “There is nothing you can achieve in isolation. We don’t expect to benefit only in terms of experience and exchanging ideas; there are other incentives like life insurance, medical insurance ….” The association currently has more than 500 members. eric.kabeera@newtimes.co.rw

National

Judicial body meets to assess progress