Legal reform commission well received

THE recent Cabinet approval of the setting up the National Law Reform Commission has been welcomed by the law fraternity, considering it a big step in furthering the country’s judicial reforms. The commission will be charged with proposing and advise on the removal of some articles in laws that may no longer be applicable.It will also be charged with coordination and merging of laws, research on laws and coordinating international laws together with international treaties that Rwanda is party to.Speaking to The New Times, the Principal State Attorney, Frank Mwine Mugisha, said creation of the commission was in the spirit of regional and global integration. “The mandate of the Law Reform Commission is to study and keep under review the laws of our country with a view of making recommendations for their systematic improvement, development and modernisation,” he said.“The East African Community, save for Burundi, and Commonwealth Nations do have this commission, it is therefore imperative that Rwanda is not the odd man out,” he said.The president of Kigali Bar Association, Athanase Rutabingwa, noted that the initiation of the new commission will help remove conflicting laws from various ministries.“We have been getting laws that are conflicting and become difficult to draft. But now that we have this commission with permanent law experts, all these will be solved,” he said.He added that ad hoc basis on which the lawyers have been working under had been hindering the sector saying now what is required is to train more experienced labour force for the sector to develop.Aimable Havugiyaremye was approved as the vice president; Judith Mbabazi was appointed its Executive Secretary while the former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of East African Community Affairs, Robert Ssali, is among its commissioners.The chairperson will be appointed at a later date.