The committee unveiled on 28th April 2022 is not new as it existed since 2015 at every court’s level but had no specific guidelines determining its functioning.

These committees were established as part of efforts to reinforce courts’ efforts in fighting corruption.

Previously, the committee would be elected by colleagues at court level unlike the recent reforms where there will be permanent workers in charge with specific responsibilities.

The President of the Supreme Court, Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayo has said that corruption is part of crimes that negatively affect peace, security, sustainable development, democracy, human rights and prompts citizens to loose trust for leaders.

“It also deprives victims and accused suspects of their basic rights like access to fair trial,” he said.

“These effects of corruption talked about briefly, pushed the Government of Rwanda to take measures to fight the vice in general. Besides, the judicial system has not been left behind along the journey given that thwarting corruption in the judiciary needs special attention, "added Dr. Ntezilyayo.

In light of these efforts, Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayo revealed that strict measures have been put in place. These include the adoption of technology in judiciary’s services which helped to close loopholes through reducing physical interactions between accused suspects, plaintiffs and judges and facilitated the process of following up updates on court cases.

Dr. Ntezilyayo also explained that an annual week dedicated for the fight against corruption is set to be established with a view to regularly remind each other on the adverse consequences of corruption and pro-active measures.

Among others, he said that the judiciary plans to unveil the Inspectorate of Courts which will oversee courts’ activities and promote ethical practices among courts’ employees.

The Chief Ombudsman, Madeleine Nirere has commended the judiciary for establishing the committee highlighting that Rwandans expect a lot from them to streamline service delivery and accountability.

The Executive Director of Transparency International Rwanda, Apollinaire Mupiganyi said that other sectors should follow the suit.

“This initiative has touched me because it shows the commitment of the judiciary to prevent and stamp out corruption in our country,” he said.

Mupiganyi stressed that these committees need to determine special processes to gather information on corruption and protect sources among others.

The latest report by Transparency Rwanda on the prevalence of corruption among judges indicates that it stood at 8.3% in 2019, 6.6% in 2020 and 6.4% in 2021.

Representatives from the judicial system attended the unveiling of anti-corruption committee.

The President of the Supreme Court, Dr. Faustin Ntezilyayo has said that corruption is part of crimes that negatively affect the society.

The Chief Ombudsman, Madeleine Nirere has commended the judiciary for establishing the committee and assured support.