{{Rwandans have been urged to settle disputes by getting advises from Access to Justice Burreaus/Maison d’Accès à la Justice (MAJ) staff before heading to courts.}}
Jacqueline Bakamulera, Assistant Attorney General in charge of Community Programs, Human Rights and Legal Aid Services in Ministry of Justice said that MAJ was established to help on public enquires before they are sent to courts, and help citizens to get relevant information which can help them to understand their rights, make decisions with regards to justice matters.
“Access to justice Bureaus are not there for only matters about the judiciary, but also efficient and effective access to information and services to help people prevent and solve disputes at grass root levels,” said Bakamulera.
Bakamulera noted that even though courts are important for the Justice System; there are many situations whereby other options should be considered to be faster, less expensive, effective and more suitable for undertaking disputes.
The public was grateful to clarifications about MAJ.
The Government of Rwanda has established the Access to Justice Offices in all districts of Rwanda.
Each district is composed of three MAJ staff. Since 2007 each office was staffed by two lawyers dealing with general cases.
From 3rd January 2011, the Government of Rwanda in collaboration with UNICEF recruited a third lawyer focused on handling women and children cases.
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