Rwanda: Justice Minister pays visit to Nyamasheke residents

Rwanda’s minister for Justice, Tharcisse Karugarama, has encouraged residents of Nyamaseke district, in the Western province of Rwanda, to embrace mediation justice as a way of resolving community conflicts instead of opting for courts of law.
Karugarama was visiting Kanjongo sector residents this May 2, where he urged them to support the development of the Justice sector by working hand in hand with local mediation courts and utilize the services provided by the Access to Justice Bureaus (MAJ).
The ministry has established MAJ’s in each of the 30 districts, as an initiative to decentralize justice, and provide advice and support at the community level.
The minister also stressed the need for Rwandans to be aware of the new law on abortion, saying that it is illegal to carry out an abortion and the government doesn’t support murder of any kind. The law has been controversial with mixed feelings from residents and parliament on whether abortion should be legalized.
Members of the Chamber of Deputies however passed the draft Penal Code, with the majority voting in favour of an article that permits abortion under special circumstances.
The Mayor of Nyamasheke district, Jean Baptiste Habyarimana, said that the district has put in more efforts in ensuring the flourish of justice and residents have managed to form community council from the cell level to the district level as a way of mediating conflicts with the involvement of the community.
Habyarimana however, noted that residents have difficulties with accessing the common courts of law in times when the disputes cannot be resolved by the community mediators. He asked that the Justice ministry should find ways of bring the court services closer to the community.
http://uburenganzira.com/2012/05/rwanda-justice-minister-pays-visit-to-nyamasheke-residents/