International Development Law Organization

Training Rwandan defense lawyers on international criminal law

22 years after Rwanda’s genocide, suspects remain at large and exiled in different countries around the world. Ensuring that they are brought to justice on national soil is a major priority for the Government of Rwanda. As a result of the progress made in recent years in implementing reforms and modernizing the Rwandan justice sector, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda transferred cases to be tried under Rwandan jurisdiction. What’s more, courts in a small but significant number of countries, including Canada, Norway, and The Netherlands, agreed to extradite genocide suspects to Rwanda.

It is in the interest of both the accused and the victims in question that the court, prosecution and defense lawyers are fully prepared to handle these cases in accordance with principles of Rwandan and international criminal law. IDLO is working with the Rwandan Bar Association to strengthen the capacity of Rwandan defense lawyers in international criminal law through legal defense education in the form of training, discussions and moot court exercises.

Status: 
Completed
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