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Judicial decisions shall be binding on all parties concerned, be the public authorities
or individuals. They shall not be challenged except through ways and procedures
determined by law.
Article 141: Functioning of Courts
• Right to public trial
Court proceedings shall be conducted in public unless Court determines that
proceedings should be in camera on ground that a public hearing might have an
adverse effect on general public order or cause moral embarrassment.
• Supreme court opinions
Every court decision shall indicate the grounds of its basis, be written in its entirety,
delivered in public together with the reasons and orders taken therein.
Courts shall apply Orders or regulations that are not inconsistent with the
Constitution and other Laws.
Without prejudice to equality of litigants before courts of law, the Organic Law
establishing the organisation, functioning and jurisdiction of the Supreme Court shall
determine the institution of a single judge and his/her jurisdiction in the Supreme
Court.
The Organic Law determining the organisation, functioning and jurisdiction of
Courts shall determine institution of a single judge and his/her jurisdiction in other
ordinary and commercial courts. The same Organic Law shall provide for the
application of the above provisions.
• Structure of the courts
Article 142: Term of office of the heads of Courts and
judicial functions
• Supreme court term length
• Supreme court term limits
The President and the Vice President of the Supreme Court shall be appointed for an
eight (8) year term that is not renewable.
• Ordinary court term length
• Ordinary court term limits
The President of High Court, the Vice President of High Court, the President of the
Commercial High Court and the Vice President of the Commercial High Court shall
be appointed for a five (5) year term renewable only once.
• Judicial independence
In the exercise of their judicial functions, judges shall remain subject to the authority
of the Law and remain independent from any other power or authority.
The code of ethics of judges shall be determined by specific Laws.
The Law on the statute of judges and the judicial personnel shall also regulate the
term of office of heads of other Courts.
Section 2: Courts
• Structure of the courts
Article 143: Court classification
There are hereby established ordinary and specialized courts.
Ordinary Courts include the Supreme Court, the High Court, Intermediate Courts
and Primary Courts.
• Establishment of military courts
Specialized Courts include Gacaca Courts, Military Courts, Commercial Courts and
any other as may be determined by an Organic Law.
An Organic Law may establish other courts or remove them.
However, special Courts shall not be created.
With the exception of the Supreme Court, ordinary courts may have specialised
chambers or branches established by an Order of the President of the Supreme
Rwanda 2003 (rev. 2010)
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