Rugege was speaking yesterday in Kigali while launching the five-day capacity building training among commercial courts judges, lawyers and legal representatives from financial institutions, banks and Rwanda Revenue Authority.
The training aims at equipping them with mediation knowledge and how it can be used in addressing commercial conflicts without necessarily going to courts of law.
“We want all problems solved amicably and mediated, because, we have observed that this system helps them to feel contented,” he said.
He said that in courts, both parties spend long periods and everyone on their side desire to win the case which he said is impossible.
“When they are going in courts, one must win the case and another one lose, most of the time losers do not agree with ruling decisions, as they also desire to win and end up with lasting conflicts. We want to reduce such cases and solve many problems amicably,” he explained.
He said that cases solved through mediation are still few.
“They are not more than 5%, but we wish them raised to 60%. For example in Trinidad and Tobago, a country that uses the system, in pilot phase of the system, 65% of the cases in first year were tried amicably,” he explained.
He said that in other countries that use the same system, 90% of cases are solved amicably and Rwanda wishes to apply same approach.
The President of Commercial High Court, Emmanuel Kamere said that the system is a good way to go as people contribute in solving their problems will help end backlogs in the justice system.
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