Rwanda Case Law

IMIRONGO SC - No 3 - Febuary - April - 2023

Court

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court held that life insurance proceeds are not part of the estate for succession if a beneficiary is named; economic damages for accident victims with less than 30% disability are calculated on the statutory minimum wage; parents must prove financial dependence for economic damages; attorney fees are awarded to the party causing litigation; property sold by one cohabitant is valid only for their share; exequatur is granted if foreign judgments meet statutory requirements; administrative silence does not confer rights beyond the law; dismissed public employees must seek judicial r…

Source excerpt

• Life insurance succession
• Economic damages from accidents
• Parental compensation claims
• Attorney fee awards
• Property division for unmarried cohabitants
• Exequatur of foreign judgments

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IMIRONGO SC Gashyantare - Mata 2023

Court

Supreme Court

Life insurance proceeds belong to the named beneficiary, not the estate. Economic damages for accident victims with less than 30% disability are based on statutory minimum wage. Parents must prove dependency to claim economic damages for a deceased child. Attorney fees are recoverable from the party causing litigation, not double recovery for separate proceedings. Sale of jointly owned property by one cohabitant is valid only for their share. Exequatur of foreign judgments requires compliance with statutory conditions. Administrative silence is acceptance only for rights legally due. Reinstat…

Source excerpt

• Life insurance succession
• Economic damages from accidents
• Parental economic damages
• Attorney fees allocation
• Property division unmarried cohabitants
• Exequatur of foreign judgments

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RLR-V.1-2017

Court

Supreme Court

The Supreme Court refused exequatur of a New York judgment because Gahiga was not summoned and his right to defence was not respected.

• Exequatur (recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments)
• Right to defence
• Damages for vexatious litigation
• Procedural and counsel fees
• Exequatur
• Foreign-judgment-recognition

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GAHIGA v. FORTIS BUSINESS HOLDINGS LLC_231190_en

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

RCA0010/11/CS

The Supreme Court of Rwanda held that a foreign judgment could not be executed in Rwanda because the defendant had not been summoned and his right to defence was violated.

• Exequatur
• Right to defence
• Public order
• Damages
• Procedural fees
• Right-to-defence

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GAHIGA v. FORTIS BUSINESS HOLDINGS LLC

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

RCA0010/11/CS

The Supreme Court of Rwanda refused enforcement of a New York judgment because Gahiga had not been summoned or heard, violating his right of defense.

• Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments
• Right to be heard
• Procedural fairness
• Recognition-and-enforcement-of-foreign-judgments
• Right-to-be-heard
• Procedural-fairness

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