No developments observed this year.

No developments observed this year.

In 1996, the courts were operational. Genocide laws were adopted and enforced ex post facto in specially created genocide courts.

On 5 May 1995, Rwanda adopted a new constitution which dealt with judicial reform. As of October of 1995, however, it was reported that the judiciary was still non-functional.¹ In the first move to revive the judicial system, the national assembly appointed six Supreme Court judges.²

No developments observed this year.

The accord called for a separation of powers as a general principle and the creation of a competent and independent judiciary. No developments observed this year.

No further developments observed this year.

Postscript: As of 2003, the commission was active. While critics claim that the NURC had been used to try to promote unity around the RPF and its agenda not to truly promote reconciliations, the use of Gaçaca as a form of transitional justice and reconciliation can be seen as significant effort aimed towards reconciliations. Elections for Gaçaca judges were held in 2001 and the first sessions began in 2002 and fully completed in 2005.

The NURC reportedly continued to make progress in its efforts to restore normalcy to the country following the 1994 genocide.³

Once operational, the NURC was very active and its activities were followed and supported by the European Union.⁴ The commission actively engaged in organizing conferences throughout the country so that people would exchange ideas and together find solutions to a number of problems facing the country and also took charge of organizing ingando re-education camps for re-integrated soldiers, released prisoners, university students, government officials, and others.⁵

Two years after the presidential decree, the NURC became operational in March 1999, by the law No. 03/99 of 12/03/99.⁶ The objective of the establishment of the commission was to both foster unity and reconciliation among the people of Rwanda and to promote ethnic reconciliations and human rights.