Supreme Court unveils video conferencing facilities

The Supreme Court, yesterday, commissioned a Video-Tele-Conference (VTC) facility to facilitate the effective and expeditious delivery of justice.The equipment also installed in seven court rooms, is part of efforts to enhance cooperation with many foreign judiciaries dealing with cases connected to local residents.It was funded by the German government and implemented by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda ( ICTR) which was tasked by the UN general assembly to participate in the capacity building of Rwanda’s judiciary.“The strategic objectives are to ensure that justice is fully and easily accessible; ensure fair, effective and efficient administration of justice; strengthen judicial independence in order to boost the conference in the judicial system; and engage in active, effective collaboration with justice partners,” said the Chief Justice, Sam Rugege, while commissioning the facility at the Supreme Court.It can also be connected to the outside world, such as The Hague and also facilitate witnesses to testify, from wherever they are, without necessarily physically being in court.Apart from establishing a direct communication link between people in various locations, the system can display papers via its document camera and transmit any image produced on a personal computer such as video or presentations.So far, the Arusha- based ICTR has transferred four cases of Genocide suspects to Rwanda, as it wind up its activities, with the most recent one being that of Ladislas Ntaganzwa, former Mayor (Bourgmestre) of Nyakizu, who is still on the run.The three other cases transferred to Rwanda by the UN-backed tribunal are Jean Uwinkindi, a pastor who was transferred in April, and two other files of suspects still on the run.Other files transferred are those of a former inspector in the criminal investigation department, Fulgence Kayishema, and that of former Bourgmestre, Charles Sikubwabo.Rugege said that a lot of investments are being made in electronic filing system, allowing filing of cases 24 hours, which will save the litigants the time of coming to court to file their cases.“We are actively devising means to ensure that the adjudication process costs and procedures are considerably reduced and time is brought to acceptable levels, and enhance adjudication quality,” he added.He explained that the digital court recording system, currently in the Commercial Courts, will soon be extended to other courts to make records more reliable and save time in writing judgments.Rugege added that the digital system will be extended to prisons across the country to reduce the cost and risks in transporting the inmates.“There is no doubt that the use of this facility will significantly contribute to the effective and efficient delivery of justice,” he stated.“ICTR had indeed expressed concerns that despite the rapid progress in rebuilding the judiciary capacity after the Genocide, defence witnesses living abroad might have been associated, in any manner whatsoever, with alleged perpetrators of the Genocide. A video link facility would appear in this context, as a handy tool that could level the playing field, to a large extent,” Adama Dieng, the Registrar of the ICTR, said.“Beyond the limited number of cases slated for referral by the prosecutor of ICTR, this facility, if used efficiently, will provide extended efficiency to the Rwandan judiciary system,” Dieng noted.“We have modest capacity to deal with a case of any kind of international character,” Justice Johnston Busingye, the President of the High Court, said.He added that plans are underway to provide live video to the media as well as provide tools for large feeds of proceedings to internet users.“This will further build confidence in the justice system and to deliver on the promises to the people,” said Busingye.“I believe that soon we will be able to screen proceedings on the internet with people following it on their desks as they do their normal work”.

National

Supreme Court unveils video conferencing facilities