Rwanda Case Law

IMIRONGO CoA - No 25 - March 2025

Court

Court of Appeal

The Court of Appeal established that in criminal cases, especially defilement of minors, no excuse or justification can exonerate the accused; strict liability applies. In contract and commercial matters, failure to meet contractual deadlines without valid reason constitutes breach, entitling the other party to terminate and claim damages. In appeals, procedural compliance is mandatory, and mitigation of sentence is strictly limited to confessions made before closure of first instance proceedings. Evidence, including hearsay and testimony from minors, is admissible if corroborated. In drug ca…

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• Sexual offences against children
• Contract breach
• Exequatur
• Appeals procedure
• Mitigation of sentence
• Evidence law

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DEVELOPMENT BANK OF RWANDA (BRD) N’ ABANDI v. NYIRANDIHANO N’ ABANDI

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RCOMAA 00041-00042- 00043/2022/CA

The Court of Appeal held BRD was only a witness to the share sale agreement, not a bound party, and set aside monetary awards against it.

• Shareholder agreements
• Sale of shares
• Corporate liability
• Privatization
• Procedural law
• Damages

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BUCYEDUSENGE N’ABANDI v NIYIGENA MINING COMPANY Ltd

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RS/INJUST/RC 00015/2022/CA

The Court of Appeal restored compensation orders after finding a miscarriage of justice. It held Niyigena Mining Company Ltd, not Niyigena Innocent personally, was the proper defendant.

• Corporate liability
• Compensation for workplace accidents
• Legal personality of companies
• Substitution of parties
• Mining law
• Corporate-liability

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AYALA CO LTD v. APROTEC ASBL N’UNDI

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

RS/INJUST/RCOM 00007/2020/SC

AYALA CO Ltd's appeal was admissible as it was the first appeal for the intervenor, even though the underlying case was at the appellate level. However, only EPTC Ltd, not APROTEC ASBL, is liable to pay AYALA CO Ltd the sum awarded in the prior judgment, as there was no contractual or legal basis to hold APROTEC ASBL liable for EPTC Ltd's debts. The overlap of shareholders does not create liability between the companies. APROTEC ASBL is entitled to partial costs from AYALA CO Ltd.

Source excerpt

• Appeals
• Corporate liability
• Contract enforcement
• Standing to appeal
• Execution of judgments

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AATM CONSTRUCTION Ltd v. TUYAERTS

Court

Supreme Court

Case number

RCOMA 0005/15/CS

The Supreme Court upheld refusal to enforce a DRC commercial judgment in Rwanda, finding the wrong party had been sued and awarding damages to the respondent.

• Recognition and enforcement of foreign judgments
• Standing to sue
• Damages
• Exequatur
• Corporate liability
• Recognition-and-enforcement-of-foreign-judgments

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