Judiciary Council gets new members

The Superior Council of the Judiciary, chaired by the Chief Justice, Prof. Sam Rugege, on Tuesday elected new members, replacing those who have finished their three-year mandate.Speaking to The New Times, the spokesman for the Judiciary, Charles Kaliwabo, said that among those elected included judges from different courts.They are Louis Marie Mugenzi from the Supreme Court, Antoine Muhima of the High Court and Clotilde Mukamurera of the Commercial High Court.The Superior Judicial Council was also supposed to elect five judges representing the Higher Instance Courts, but only three were elected.“According to the law, for members of the Superior Council of the Judiciary who are elected, the election has to be at least, three quarters of the Electoral College. In the category of Higher Instance Courts, only three raised the required votes, the other two didn’t make it through,” said Kaliwabo without mentioning those who lost the election.The three that were elected from this level are, Simon Ruremesha, Patricia Mukayiza and Jean Baptiste Bandora.Also, among those who were scheduled to be elected to the council were five judges from the Lower Instance Courts, but only Leonard Rutebuka garnered the required votes.“The Council will hold other elections to fill the posts that were not elected for,” said Kaliwabo.It is composed of representatives from legal jurisdictions in the country and has posts that are not elected for, including the Chief Justice who is also the Chairperson, Deputy Chief Justice and presidents of the High Court and the Commercial High Courts.Others who are not elected by the judicial council include the head of Rwanda Human Rights Commission, the Ombudsman and two deans of Faculties of Law from recognized universities.According to the law governing the council, the term of office of the elected members is three years and the elected members shall not hold office for more than two successive terms. The Superior Council of the Judiciary is comprised of the disciplinary committee, the committee for judges’ career and the committee responsible for the functioning of the judicial system.It is charged with examining and advising either on its own initiative or upon request by another organ, on matters relating to the functioning of the justice system.It is also responsible for taking decisions related to appointments, promotions, transfer or removal of judges from office and management of the career of judges, apart from those of the military courts.

National

Judiciary Council gets new members