Rwanda Case Law

IMIRONGO - CoA - No 22 December 2024

Court

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal established that convictions cannot be based on acts not charged in the indictment, procedural requirements for auctions and appeals are strictly statutory, sentence reductions require unequivocal guilty pleas before first instance closure, and the burden of proof and admissibility of evidence are governed by clear legal standards. Precedents are not binding if the underlying law has changed. Second appeals depend on the value or damages awarded in the prior judgment.

Source excerpt

• Criminal procedure
• Evidence
• Sentencing
• Appeals
• Foreclosure and auction law
• Labour disputes

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IMIRONGO CoA - No 15 - Febuary - 2024

Court

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal established that strict procedural and substantive requirements govern criminal investigations, appeals, sentencing, and evidentiary assessment. Authorization from the Prosecutor General is mandatory for certain offences; appeals must be timely; the most lenient applicable law governs sentencing; and judges retain discretion in mitigation. In civil and administrative matters, the burden of proof and statutory criteria for compensation or refugee status are strictly applied.

Source excerpt

• Criminal procedure
• Appeals
• Sentencing
• Mitigating circumstances
• Evidence assessment
• Drug offences

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IMIRONGO CoA - No 7- April - 2023

Court

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal established binding principles on criminal responsibility and mental illness, the definition of contradictory judgments, the limits of procedural error as grounds for second appeal, the requirements for recusal, evidentiary standards for property division among unmarried cohabitants, the scope of mitigating circumstances in sentencing, the validity of confessions, the appellate court's power to reduce sentences, the corroboration requirement for child testimony, and the rule that doubt must benefit the accused.

Source excerpt

• Criminal responsibility and mental illness
• Contradictory judgments
• Forgery and use of forged documents
• Recusal of judges
• Division of property for unmarried cohabitants
• Sentencing principles

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IMIRONGO CoA - Avril 2023 - Booklet#7

Court

Court of Appeal

Court of Appeal digest of April 2023 precedents on criminal responsibility, contradictory judgments, recusal, sentencing mitigation, corroboration, cohabitation property division, and labour redundancy.

• Criminal responsibility and mental illness
• Contradictory judgments
• Forgery and use of forged documents
• Recusal of judges
• Division of property for unmarried cohabitants
• Sentencing guidelines and mitigation

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UBUSHINJACYAHA v. MVUYEKURE_126791_kn

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

RPAA 0133/10/CS

The Supreme Court quashed a conviction for defilement because it relied mainly on a 3-year-old child’s statement without corroboration and breached the right to defence.

• Child sexual offences
• Standard of proof
• Right to defence
• Admissibility of evidence
• Child-sexual-offences
• Criminal-evidence

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