In her remarks, Domitilla Mukantaganzwa, President of the Supreme Court and Chairperson of Rwanda’s Judiciary, highlighted key judicial achievements during the 2024/25 judicial year. The courts handled 106,254 new cases alongside 76,273 cases carried over from the previous year, totaling 182,527 cases requiring decisions.
Of the 106,254 cases filed in the courts, 63,457 cases (60%) were presented to Primary Courts, while Higher Courts, Commercial Courts, and Intermediate Courts received the remaining 42,797 cases (40%).
Among these, substantive cases accounted for 90,044, representing 85%, and detention/release-related cases totaled 16,210, equivalent to 15%.
Rwanda’s judiciary successfully ruled on 109,192 cases during 2024/25. This included 92,880 substantive cases (85%) and 16,312 detention and release-related cases (15%). On average, each judge handled 26 cases monthly.
Mukantaganzwa noted: “The overall judicial output combining substantive cases, detention-related cases, and those resolved through mediation and plea bargains reached 124,204 cases in the 2024/25 judicial year.”
Despite these achievements, challenges remain as the judiciary closed the year with a backlog of 58,323 unresolved cases. Among these, 26,862 cases (49%) were pending for over six months.
Mukantaganzwa stressed: “The recurrent backlog often stems from the limited awareness among court users and the general public about alternative dispute resolution methods such as mediation. Many still equate justice with court trials where one party wins and another loses."
During 2024/25, cases resolved through mediation and agreements totaled 15,012, accounting for 14% of the cases filed.
Mukantaganzwa urged citizens: “I encourage court users to embrace mediation as a quick, cost-effective, and harmonious justice delivery method that also preserves relationships among disputing parties.”
The judiciary also reported 2,004 cases resolved entirely through mediation without court involvement, 559 cases settled via administrative fines, and 11,846 concluded through plea agreements.
Moreover, during the same period, the National Public Prosecution Authority received 78,489 cases and achieved a remarkable processing rate of 96.4%, managing 75,732 cases effectively.
With these foundations laid, Rwanda’s judiciary officially commenced its 2025/26 judicial year.