The Rwanda Law Reform Commission (RLRC) convened its Second Annual Consultative Meeting on Legislative Development, bringing together key stakeholders from the justice sector and other public institutions, civil society organizations, the private sector, and higher learning institutions with law schools. 

Graced by the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, who attended as the Guest of Honor, the meeting aimed to gather stakeholders' perspectives on the evolving direction of Rwanda's criminal justice system, particularly the transition towards a restorative justice approach through the review and reform of criminal justice legislation.

In line with the Government of Rwanda's Vision 2050, which identifies the promotion of the rule of law and access to justice as fundamental pillars of citizen-centred governance, the meeting sought to secure valuable stakeholder input to support the effective implementation of the country's new Criminal Justice Policy and guide legislative reforms aimed at strengthening Rwanda's criminal justice system.

Delivering the keynote address as the Guest of Honor, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, Dr. Emmanuel Ugirashebuja, highlighted the significant progress Rwanda has made in adopting alternative dispute resolution mechanisms within the criminal justice system. He noted that plea bargaining, court mediation, and victim-offender mediation have proven to be effective tools for accelerating the delivery of justice, reducing court case backlogs, and alleviating overcrowding in correctional facilities across the country. He emphasized that these mechanisms represent an important step towards building a more efficient, restorative, and people-centred criminal justice system.

The meeting also featured interactive technical sessions during which participants reviewed the proposed legislative reforms and exchanged views and provided recommendations on the proposed amendments, with their contributions expected to inform the ongoing review of criminal justice legislation and other legal instruments containing criminal provisions.